Dental Surgeons: too many children admitted to hospital for tooth decay

• Tooth decay remains the leading cause for hospital admissions among 5 to 9 year olds in England, according to data published by NHS England today.
• 19,381 children aged 5 to 9 in England were admitted to hospital in 2023/2024 due to tooth decay.
• This compares to 12,283 children in the same age group admitted to hospital in 2023/2024 due to acute tonsillitis.
• There has been a very small improvement on the previous year (2022/2023), when 19,560 children aged 5 to 9 in England were admitted to hospital due to tooth decay.

Responding to the latest figures Professor Sondos Albadri, a paediatric dental surgeon and a board member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:

“The latest findings paint a distressing picture about the state of children’s oral health in England. Far too many are being admitted to hospital to have rotting teeth removed. While there has been a very small decrease in the number of children admitted, tooth decay is almost wholly preventable, and we really shouldn’t be seeing so many children needing teeth out – especially under general anaesthetic. 

“Tooth decay is largely preventable through regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste, reducing sugar consumption and routine dental visits. However, we know that too many people cannot get an appointment with their local NHS dentist at the moment.

“The new government’s pledges to improve access to NHS Dentistry, and introduce supervised tooth-brushing schemes, will help, but it is now urgent they get on with implementing these plans.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. NHS England’s Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity, 2023-24
2. Figures taking from the “Diagnosis” dataset of Hospital Admitted Patient Care Activity.
3. The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to enabling dentists and specialists to provide patients with the highest possible standards of practice and care.
4. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients.     
5. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6054/6053/6061; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.