“Still shameful that preventable tooth decay is causing children and young people to go to hospital”

Commenting on the figures, Matthew Garrett, dean of the faculty of dental surgery Royal College of Surgeons of England, said, “Although we welcome the recovery of services after the pandemic and congratulate the community for their hard work, it is still shameful that preventable tooth decay is causing children to go to hospital and go under general anaesthetic. Tooth decay is consistently the main reason children are admitted to hospital and is a clear indicator of health inequalities.

“With the government dropping the Health Disparities White Paper, we urgently need a prevention strategy that prioritises children’s oral health.

“In 2021/22, the costs to the NHS of hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19 year olds was estimated to be £81 million for all tooth extractions and £51 million for decay-related extractions. By implementing a coherent prevention strategy that includes supervised toothbrushing schemes, and using the upcoming budget to recommit to childhood obesity policies that reduce sugar consumption, millions could be diverted to improve access to dentistry.”