The report reveals that in the 2024 financial year:
- Tooth decay remains the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged between 5 and 9 years.
- There were 49,112 episodes of tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in England for 0 to 19 year-olds.
- Out of all tooth extractions for 0 to 19 year-olds, 30,587 (62%) were due to tooth decay.
- Whilst there has been a 3% increase in the total number of tooth extractions, there has been a 2% decrease in the number of episodes of decay-related tooth extractions in hospital for 0 to 19 year-olds compared to the previous financial year.
- The number of non-decay-related extractions has increased by 13% compared to the previous financial year.
- The decay-related tooth extraction episode rate for children and young people living in the most deprived communities was nearly 3.5 times that of those living in the most affluent communities.
- The cost to the NHS of hospital admissions for tooth extraction in children aged 0 to 19 years have been estimated at £74.8 million for all tooth extractions and £45.8 million for decay-related tooth extractions.
- In Yorkshire and the Humber, tooth extractions due to decay in 0- to 19-year-olds are the highest at 454 per 100,000, while in the East Midlands, they are the lowest at 70 per 100,000, with the England average being 229 per 100,000.
RCPCH Officer for Health Improvement, Dr Helen Stewart, said:
It is disheartening to hear that there were nearly 50,000 children and young people having tooth extractions in 2024 alone. Tooth decay remains the most common reason for hospital admissions in children aged 5-9 years old, despite it being a wholly preventable condition.
As a paediatrician I am deeply aware of the profound health and social impacts that stem from poor oral health, including pain, infections, disrupted sleep and eating habits and missed school days. There is also an undeniable link between deprivation and tooth decay with children living in lower-income areas being 3.5 times more likely to experience tooth extraction in comparison to their more affluent peers.
We previously welcomed the Government’s national targeted toothbrushing scheme for children. This, alongside the announcement of 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments, is a step in the right direction however if the Government truly want to see change, they must implement a fully funded, long term poverty strategy with children at the centre. We are once again urging Government to end the unfair and damaging two-child benefit cap.