RCPCH Officer for Health Improvement, Dr Helen Stewart, said:
As a children’s doctor, I know only too well the significant health and social consequences resulting from poor oral health. In 2024, 26.9% of five-year-olds in England had tooth decay, a wholly unacceptable figure from a nation as rich as ours.
Poor oral health is one of the more apparent and prevalent health inequalities and crucially highlights the level of poverty and deprivation in England. Tooth decay remains the most common reason for hospital admission in children and the link between deprivation and decay is undeniable, with children living in lower-income areas more than twice as likely to have tooth decay than their more affluent peers.
We previously welcomed the Government’s national targeted toothbrushing scheme for children and are pleased to see that these plans are being taken forward. The evidence is clear that these schemes are effective and help to address inequalities. However, if we are ever to make meaningful and long-term change then we must get serious about ending child poverty once and for all. We are once again urging Government to end the unfair and damaging two-child benefit cap.