The Local Government Association, which represents more than 370 councils with responsibility for public health, is concerned that the rise in cases of tooth decay will mean children are forced to miss school to attend hospital for an operation.
Latest figures show that hospitals spent £35m on multiple teeth extraction in under 18s in 2014/15, compared with £21m in 2010/11. Over the last five years, this amounts to nearly £140m.
Council leaders believe that excessive consumption of fizzy drinks and foods high in added sugar are a major reason behind the surge in cases of treatment – 40,970 procedures in 2014/15 compared with 32,457 – an increase of more than a quarter.
The numbers mean that more than 100 operations to remove teeth in children and teens are taking place each day in hospitals rather than dental practices, due to the severity of the tooth decay.
And given the high frequency of operations, town halls say it is inevitable this will mean some pupils taking time off school for hospital appointments.
The LGA has called for the Government to include tough measures to tackle young people’s sugar consumption in its forthcoming childhood obesity strategy.
These include a reduction of sugar content and teaspoon labelling of sugar content in soft drinks, and greater availability of water in nurseries, schools and colleges as an alternative to soft drinks.
Dental decay is the top cause of childhood hospital admission for children aged between five and nine, with nearly 26,000 admitted in 2013/14 – making 8.7 per cent of all admissions.
Youngsters in the UK are the biggest soft drinkers in Europe – with 40 per cent of 11 to 15 year olds drinking sugary drinks at least once a day. Poland is the second highest at 27 per cent and Germany third with 18.5 per cent.
Under 10s get almost a fifth of their sugar intake from soft drinks and for 11 to 18 year olds, that figure is nearly a third.
Councillor Izzi Seccombe, the LGA’s Community Wellbeing spokeswoman, said:
“Our children’s teeth are rotting because they are consuming too much food and drink high in sugar far too often. Nearly half of 11 to 15 year olds have a sugary drink at least once a day. As these figures show, we don’t just have a child obesity crisis, but a children’s oral health crisis too.
“What makes these numbers doubly alarming is the fact so many teeth extractions are taking place in hospitals rather than dentists. This means the level of tooth decay is so severe that removal is the only option. It goes to show that a good oral hygiene routine is essential, as well as how regular dentist trips can ensure tooth decay is tackled at an early stage.
“Poor oral health can affect children and young people’s ability to sleep, eat, speak, play and socialise with others. Having good oral health can help children learn at school, and improve their ability to thrive and develop, not least because it will prevent school absence.”
Professor Liz Kay, foundation dean of the Peninsula Dental School at Plymouth University and a nationally recognised dental public health expert, welcomes the report.
She said: “The contents of this report are simply shocking. I find it outrageous that in this country and in this day and age so many children are undergoing surgery for a condition which is largely preventable. If that many children were having another body part removed because of something we could prevent there would, quite correctly, be a public outcry.
“While the report highlights the parlous state of our children’s teeth and makes for depressing reading, it has at least brought the issue to the public’s attention. Much has been made of sugar’s contribution to childhood obesity, but its effect on children’s teeth is just as perilous. A better understanding of diet and good oral health techniques will help parents and carers go a long way to improving their children’s teeth and avoiding those trips to hospital for surgery. But they need to be supported by the food and drink industry which must surely now address the amount of hidden sugar in what ordinary people consume every day.”
The Oral Health Foundation were shocked by the new figures and believe the Government has an important opportunity through the new ‘sugar tax’ to increase levels of oral health education for children and families.
Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, commented on the research: “These figures are incredibly alarming on two levels.
“Firstly, we have seen these numbers consistently increase over the last five years. That is five years where an awful problem has been highlighted but not addressed. The Government has continually failed to acknowledged the problem and address it at its core.
“Secondly, and most importantly, we have to all remember that every single one of these problems is entirely preventable. Valuable NHS resources are being spent on a problem which should not exist in the first place. This is the issue which must be addressed urgently.
“We have to improve children’s knowledge of the appalling health implications of sugary drinks. The Government has pledged to plough the estimated £520m they will earn from the new sugar tax into school sports, yet again ignoring the crisis we are experiencing in children’s oral health in the UK.
“We feel that it is important, necessary and highly appropriate to invest a portion of this funding into increasing awareness about sugar’s impact on oral health. If this does not happen, we will only see the problem continuing to grow.”
The LGA also highlight how poor oral health can seriously affect children and young people’s ability to sleep, eat, speak, play and socialise with others.
Dentist Ben Atkins, trustee of the Oral Health Foundation added: “It is not just the cost of removing a child’s tooth which needs to be taken into consideration here. The stress and pain put on a child who has to be admitted to hospital for tooth extractions under general anaesthetic takes a substantial toll.
“To have so many children suffering needlessly due to poor oral health is inexcusable. Something is fundamentally wrong and changes must be made.
“We have to get children and families understanding that excessive consumption of sugar is having a devastating impact on oral health. As it stands, 40 per cent of 11-15 year olds are drinking at least one sugary drink a day.
“Tooth decay is one of the leading causes of children’s admissions to hospital and the main reason they must undergo general anaesthetic; this is an embarrassing situation with all the advances we have seen in dentistry over the last few decades.
“As we go forward the Government must ensure there is a committed focus on prevention and education so we can help stop problems which should not exist in the first place.”
Case studies
Suffolk:
Nearly 20 per cent of five year olds have tooth decay in Suffolk. Some children already have three to four decayed teeth by the time they start school. To help tackle tooth decay, Suffolk County Council has launched an oral health improvement strategy. The five year programme includes a new oral health pack to be given to every mother at their child’s eight/nine month check. The pack includes a child’s toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and a leaflet about oral health and reducing sugar intake.
Hammersmith and Fulham:
“Book and Brush at Bedtime” features a children’s book written by a local author which aims to establish bedtime routines to promote good oral health, including brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste as the last thing a child does before going to sleep. The scheme aims to ensure good bedtime routines remain throughout the rest of childhood and into adult life. The book has also been read with groups of young children in local libraries and children’s centres, alongside distribution of fluoride toothpaste and brush packs.
Buckinghamshire:
Buckinghamshire County Council has commissioned the Smile Award Plus programme to run in nurseries and children’s centres. Smile Award accreditation is awarded to those with a ‘tooth friendly’ food and snack policy, which limit sugary snacks and provide water and milk over sugary and acidic drinks. To date, 94 per cent of children’s centres have achieved accreditation. Evaluation suggests that behaviour and dietary changes have been made by families as a result.