More than 25,000 children have rotting teeth removed in 2022 as extractions increase by 83 per cent
More than 25,000 children will have their rotten teeth extracted in 2022, as extractions increase by 83%, and young people in poorer areas are more likely to need teeth extracted.
- Children in the most deprived areas were 3.5 times more likely to lose their teeth
- The NHS bill to remove rotten teeth was estimated at £50.9 million
More than 25,000 children had decayed teeth removed in hospital last year, figures suggest.
Data from the Government’s Office for Health Improvements and Disparities show that in 2021/22 there were 42,180 tooth extraction operations carried out in NHS hospitals in England for young people aged 19 and under.
Of these, 26,741 had a primary diagnosis of dental caries, representing 63 percent of tooth extractions for the age group.
Dental caries is the most common reason for hospital admission in children between 6 and 10 years of age.
Overall, there was an 83 per cent increase in extractions for dental caries compared to 2020/21, although the report said that “this increase is likely to reflect a partial recovery of hospital services following the Covid-19 pandemic.” “.
Dental caries is the most common reason for hospital admission in children between the ages of 6 and 10 (archive image)
The data showed that children living in the most deprived communities are around 3.5 times more likely to lose teeth due to cavities than those living in the most affluent areas.
The highest rates were in Yorkshire and the Humber (378 per 100,000 children under 19), while the lowest rates were in the East Midlands (71 per 100,000).
The cost to the NHS of removing rotten teeth was estimated at £50.9m between 2021 and 2022.
The report said that while the number of tooth extraction operations in 2021/22 was higher than the previous year, the levels were still lower than pre-pandemic figures.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said the data “underestimates the level of demand, given the huge delays and partial recovery for elective services.”
He said he was “deeply concerned that continued severe access problems, coupled with the disruption of public health programs and confinement diets,” will amplify inequities.
He also pointed to problems in hiring dentists and a “government failure to reform and invest.”
BDA President Eddie Crouch added: “Dental caries remains the leading reason for hospital admissions among young children.
Some 42,180 removal operations were carried out in NHS hospitals in England in 2021/22 for children under 19 (file image)
‘Decline and deprivation go hand in hand, and this inequality is bound to widen.
‘None of this is inevitable. This government must be willing to take its gloves off when it comes to fighting a totally preventable disease.’
David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s community welfare board, said: “Untreated dental conditions remain one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children and young people’s ability to speak, eat, play and socialize.”
Inequality in oral health is expected to increase due to the magnitude of delays in primary care, which limit the possibility of detecting problems in time.
“The government must use the upcoming spring budget to recommit to vital measures to combat childhood obesity and diet-related ill-health, such as the sugar tax that has helped reduce the consumption of high-sugar beverages.” sugar”.