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Child Tooth Extractions Soar: A Dental Crisis Unfolds
17 Feb
Summary
- Hospital extractions for decayed teeth in England rose 14% to 56,143.
- Tooth decay is the primary cause for child hospital admissions.
- Deprived children are three times more likely to need extractions.
The number of children and young people in England requiring hospital tooth extractions due to decay has significantly increased. For the financial year ending 2025, NHS hospitals performed 56,143 extractions on those up to 19 years old, a 14% rise from the previous year. Of these, 33,976 were specifically for decay.
Tooth decay accounts for 60.5% of all extractions in this age group, escalating to 80% for children up to four. Alarmingly, decay is the primary reason for hospital admissions for five to nine-year-olds. Experts suggest this rise may reflect post-pandemic service recovery, but dental associations stress the need for improved access to care.
Geographically, Yorkshire and the Humber reported the highest rates of decay-related extractions. Children in the most deprived areas were more than three times as likely to undergo such procedures compared to those in more affluent areas. Professionals emphasize that decay is a preventable disease and urge policymakers to focus on preventive programs and early dental access to reverse this trend.
