‘Horrific’ rise in children needing decayed teeth removed

British Dental Association insists that greater efforts are needed to improve access to dental care

The number of children in England undergoing hospital extractions for decayed teeth has seen a significant increase, new data reveals.

For the financial year ending 2025, NHS hospitals performed 56,143 tooth extractions on children up to 19 years old, marking a 14 per cent rise from the previous year.

Of these, 33,976 were specifically due to tooth decay, an 11 per cent increase.

This means decay accounts for 60.5 per cent of all extractions in this age group, soaring to 80 per cent for those up to four years old and 86.5 per cent for five to nine-year-olds. Alarmingly, tooth decay remains the primary reason for hospital admissions among children aged five to nine.

While NHS data experts suggest the rising figures since 2021 could reflect a recovery in services post-pandemic, the British Dental Association (BDA) insists that greater efforts are needed to improve access to dental care.

Geographically, Yorkshire and the Humber recorded the highest rates of decay-related extractions at 504 per 100,000 children up to 19, contrasting sharply with the lowest rates in the East Midlands at 73 per 100,000.

Children and young people living in the most deprived communities were more than three times more likely to have a tooth extracted thanks to decay than those in more affluent areas, the data showed.

NHS data experts suggested the rising figures since 2021 may reflect recovery of NHS work after the pandemic, but the British Dental Association (BDA) said more needs to be done to improve access to care (PA Archive)

BDA chairman Eddie Crouch said: “These horrific statistics are a badge of dishonour for governments past and present.

“Tooth decay can’t go unchallenged as the number one reason for child hospital admissions.

“Targeted preventive programmes are now in place, but there’s still little sign government is willing to rebuild access to care.

“Dentists can’t nip these problems in the bud if we don’t get to see them.”

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) said the NHS data is likely to represent continued recovery of general anaesthetic services after the pandemic and does not include community dental services.

Dr Oosh Devalia, BSPD president, said: “BSPD urges policymakers to keep a steady focus on the priorities that we know will help turn around children’s oral health – such as supervised toothbrushing, community water fluoridation and early access to dental teams.”

Children and young people living in the most deprived communities were more than three times more likely to have a tooth extracted thanks to decay than those in more affluent areas, the data showed (PA Wire)

She said there was also a “need to cut under 16s’ sugar consumption and, importantly, push for every child to have a ‘dental home’, with access to a dental check by their first birthday”.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England said the figures equate to one young person needing extraction because of tooth decay, likely under general anaesthetic, every 15 minutes.

Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, from the college, said: “No child should be hospitalised for a disease that is almost entirely preventable.

“Tooth decay is causing unnecessary pain, missed school days and avoidable hospital admissions at a higher rate in 2025 than the year before. This direction of travel must be reversed.

“Evaluation of the supervised toothbrushing scheme is a welcome step. It will give us a clearer picture of what works and where further improvements are needed.

“If the Government is to meet its goal of transforming the NHS dental system by 2035, it must ensure every child can see a dentist when they need to. A postcode must never dictate a child’s health.”