One child has a rotten tooth pulled every 11 minutes: ‘sobering’ figures expose the dire state of NHS dentistry as it’s revealed almost 50,000 children had teeth pulled in hospital last year
Last year, more than 100 children a day were admitted to hospital where their teeth had to be extracted under general anesthesia, official figures show.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) shows that 47,581 tooth extractions took place in NHS hospitals in England for patients aged 0 to 19 years.
This corresponds to 119 per day, assuming a five-day working week.
About 66 percent of extractions – or 31,165 – were due to a primary diagnosis of tooth decay, an increase of 17 percent from the previous 12 months.
Hospital admissions for tooth extractions in children cost NHS hospitals £64.3 million last year, while tooth extractions due to tooth decay cost £40.7 million.
The decline-related extraction rate for children living in the most disadvantaged communities was almost 3.5 times that of children living in the most affluent communities.
And tooth decay was still the most common reason for hospitalization in children between the ages of 5 and 9.
The data also showed regional differences in decline-related extractions, with Yorkshire and the Humber reporting 405 cases per 100,000 children – the highest figure – and the East Midlands 80 per 100,000 – the lowest.
OHID said the overall year-on-year increase “likely reflects a continued recovery in hospital services following the Covid-19 pandemic.”
David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘These grim figures show that a lack of access to affordable dentistry is having a worrying impact on the condition of children’s teeth.
‘The fact that, due to the severity of tooth decay, an average of 119 operations per day are taking place to remove decaying teeth in children and teenagers is worrying and also contributes to the current pressure on our healthcare system.
‘Untreated dental care remains one of the most common diseases affecting children and young people’s ability to speak, eat, play and socialise.’
Dr. Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the faculty of dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘The latest figures are a sobering reminder of the prevalence of tooth decay, which is largely preventable.
‘Children and young people should be encouraged to brush their teeth regularly with fluoride toothpaste, visit the dentist and eat fewer sugary foods that can lead to decay.’
The publication of the data comes after the government unveiled its £200 million plan to strengthen NHS dentistry in England.
The proposals include £20,000 bonuses for dentists working in deprived communities, in a bid to increase appointment capacity by 2.5 million next year.
Mobile dental teams will be deployed to schools in underserved areas to provide 165,000 children with preventive fluoride varnish treatments to strengthen their teeth and prevent tooth decay.
And there will be consultations about adding fluoride to tap water supplies.
However, the plan does not include a national rollout of supervised toothbrushing in schools, as proposed by Labour.
Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association (BDA), warned that ‘the oral health gap for our youngest patients is widening, and it will not be stopped by another consultation’.
“Ministers are trying to turn controlled cleaning into a political football,” he said.
“They need to mature and use proven programs.
‘That means real commitment and ambition, broadly funded. The exact opposite of the plans we saw this week.”
In Bristol earlier this week, hundreds of people queued outside a dental practice after it opened its books to NHS patients.
Desperate Brits queued outside a newly opened NHS dental practice this week. In scenes illustrating the appointment crisis plaguing the country, hundreds queued from the crack of dawn outside Saint Pauls dental practice in Bristol in the hope of securing a place on their books.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Health Minister Victoria Atkins said: ‘We know that too many people, especially those living in rural or coastal communities, are still struggling to find an appointment.’
She added: ‘This recovery plan will put this right by making NHS dental care faster, easier and fairer for patients and staff.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the package as a ‘very important new investment’.
He said today it will “make a significant difference, and quickly.”
Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: ‘To combat tooth decay in children, the implementation of preventive policies such as water fluoridation and comprehensive toothbrushing programs is imperative.
“The government must step up efforts to improve dental access across the country so that every child has the opportunity for routine dental care.”
Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrats health spokesperson, said: ‘Tooth decay disrupts lives and is often easily preventable. Parents should not be forced to watch their children in pain.”
Wes Streeting, Labor health spokesman, said: ‘Tens of thousands of children were taken to hospital with rotting teeth last year and the problem is getting worse.
‘Not only is this damaging the start of children’s lives, it is also costing the NHS a lot of money.
‘The NHS asked for supervision of teeth brushing for children aged three to five, but Conservative ministers put ideology above children’s health and blocked this.
‘Work will give every child a healthy start in life by making supervised teeth brushing possible for 3-5 year olds, because prevention is better than cure.’