Urgent changes needed to combat appalling growth in child tooth extractions in England,’ charity declares

New figures issued by the Local Government Association (LGA), reveal that there were nearly 43,000 hospital operations to remove unhealthy teeth in children and teenagers in the last year – which translates to 170 operations a day.

Speaking on these appalling figures, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, Nigel Carter OBE, said, “A continued growth in childhood tooth extractions in England is completely unacceptable.

“In addition to the pain and distress caused to the children undergoing these operations, the cost of dealing with the problem is becoming dangerously unsustainable for the NHS.

“Local authorities are also under severe pressure, facing continual cuts and budget restraints, seriously limiting their ability to provide preventive oral health programmes, particularly in schools

“There are two key issues which have contributed to this problem, the first and most obvious being excessive sugar consumption.

“Tooth decay is the number one reason for childhood hospital admissions in the UK and children consuming too much sugar and consuming it too often is the major cause of this. Dangerously, it is also the major factor contributing to childhood obesity and diabetes.