More than 100 children a day were admitted to hospital last year to have their teeth removed under general anaesthetic, according to official figures.
The Office for Health Improvement and Inequalities (OHID) shows that there were 47,581 tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in England for patients aged 0 to 19 years.
This equates to 119 per day, assuming a five-day work week.
About 66 percent of removals – or 31,165 – were due to a primary diagnosis of tooth decay, up 17 percent from the previous 12 months.
Hospital admissions for childhood tooth extractions cost NHS hospitals £64.3 million last year, with tooth decay-related extractions costing £40.7 million.
The drop-out rate associated with decay for children living in the most deprived communities was nearly 3.5 times that of those living in the most affluent communities.
And tooth decay was still the most common cause of hospital admission in children between the ages of 5 and 9.
The data also showed regional disparities in stunting-related exports, with Yorkshire and the Humber reporting 405 cases per 100,000 children – the highest rate – and the East Midlands 80 per 100,000 – the lowest.
OHID said the overall year-on-year rise “is likely to reflect the continued recovery of hospital services following the Covid-19 pandemic”.
David Fodergill, chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “These hard figures reveal that a lack of access to affordable dentistry is having a worrying impact on the state of children’s teeth.
“The fact that, due to the severity of tooth decay, an average of 119 operations are carried out each day to remove decaying teeth in children and teenagers is worrying and also adds to the current pressures on our health service.
“Untreated dental care remains one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children and young people’s ability to speak, eat, play and socialize.”
Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the school of dental surgery 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 limit sugary foods that can lead to tooth decay.”
The release of the figures comes after the government unveiled its £200m plan to boost NHS dentistry in England.
The proposals include a £20,000 bonus for dentists working in underserved communities in a bid to increase appointment capacity by 2.5 million next year.
Mobile dental teams will deploy to schools in underserved areas to give 165,000 children preventive treatments with fluoride varnish to strengthen their teeth and prevent tooth decay.
And there will be a consultation on adding fluoride to the water supply.
However, the plan fails to include a national roll-out of supervised brushing in schools, which has been proposed by Labour.
Eddie Crouch, president of the British Dental Association (BDA), warned that “the oral health gap is widening for our youngest patients and it won’t stop with another consultation”.
“Ministers are trying to turn supervised brushing into a political football,” he said.
“They need to grow and double down on proven programs.
“This means real commitment and ambition, fully funded. So, exactly the 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 Britons this week queued outside a newly opened NHS dental practice. In scenes depicting the appointment crisis plaguing the country, hundreds lined up outside Saint Pauls dental practice in Bristol from the early hours in the hope of securing a place on their books
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “We know that too many, particularly those living in rural or coastal communities, are still struggling to get an appointment.”
He added: “This recovery plan will fix this by making NHS dental care faster, simpler and fairer for patients and staff.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the package a “very important new investment”.
Today he said that “it will make a significant difference and quickly”.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “To combat childhood caries, the implementation of preventive policies such as water fluoridation and comprehensive tooth brushing programs is imperative.
“The government must step up efforts to boost dental access nationally, ensuring every child has the opportunity to receive regular dental care.”
Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem health spokeswoman, said: “Dies disrupt lives and are often easily preventable. Parents should not be forced to see their children in pain.’
Wes Streeting, Labour’s health spokesman, said: “Tens of thousands of children had to go to hospital with rotten teeth last year and the problem is getting worse.
“Not only is it damaging the start of children’s lives, it is costing the NHS through the nose.
“The NHS called for supervised tooth brushing for 3- to 5-year-olds, but Conservative Ministers put ideology before children’s health and blocked it.
“The work will give every child a healthy start in life by providing supervised toothbrushing for 3-5 year olds, because prevention is better than cure.”
