“Now is not the time to scrap the sugar tax”

Following a decrease during the pandemic, the number of five to nine year olds requiring tooth extractions in hospital rose to 16,959 in 2021-22 (compared to 9,429 in 2020-21). In total, almost 30,000 children and young people aged between 0-19 were admitted to hospital because of tooth decay in 2021-22.

The figures are lower than pre-covid tooth extraction rates (which were 23,529 extractions in 2019-20). However, this indicates that secondary care dentistry is still recovering following the pandemic with many children still waiting to see a hospital dentist, rather than that the issue of tooth decay is improving. Dentists across the country are working incredibly hard to tackle the backlog and ensure that children and young people receive treatment as quickly as possible.