Tooth decay crisis with 170 children a day taken to hospital
HOSPITALS carried out multiple tooth extractions on around 170 children every working day in the UK last year, with sugar blamed for creating an “oral health crisis”.
New NHS spending data show there were 42,911 hospital procedures to remove multiple teeth from patients aged 18 and under in 2016-17 at a cost of more than £36 million.
It marks a jump of almost a fifth (17 per cent) in the number of extractions performed on young people over the past four years, up from 36,833 in 2012-13.
Hospital teeth removals take place when a patient requires general anaesthetic, which cannot be given by a dentist. The NHS has spent £165 million on such treatment since 2012, past data reveal. The findings were condemned by the British Dental Association, which accused the Government of indifference to the problem.
Mick Armstrong, the chairman, said: “These statistics are a badge of dishonour for health ministers, who have failed to confront a wholly preventable disease.
“Tooth decay is the number one reason for child hospital admissions, but communities across England have been left hamstrung without resources or leadership.
“This short-sightedness means just a few thousand children stand to benefit from policies that need to be reaching millions.” With the majority of procedures taking place during the week, this would mean roughly 170 such operations have happened on each working day during last year, the Local Government Association’s (LGA) analysis of the data said.
The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, called for a crackdown on unhealthy foods and soft drinks. Limiting the amount of sugar in soft drinks and putting teaspoon labels on food to indicate the amount of sugar it contains would help slash consumption, the LGA said.
Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the LGA’S community wellbeing board, said: “These figures show that we have an oral health crisis and highlight the damage that excessive sugar intake is doing to young people’s teeth.”
An NHS England spokesman said: “NHS dental care for children is free, and tooth decay is preventable, but eating sugary food and drinks is driving this unfortunate and unnecessary epidemic of extractions.
“NHS England is working with the dental profession to help an additional 70,000 more children see a dentist before they reach their second birthday.”