Number of children going to hospital with rotten teeth rises to 26,000, NHS figures show

Britain’s sugar obsession sees number of children going to hospital with rotten teeth rises to 26,000, NHS figures show

  • Twice as many children treated for tooth decay than they were for tonsillitis  
  • Royal College of Surgeons said it is a national disgrace so many kids are treated 
  • Spokesman for RCS said that 90 per cent of all tooth declay is preventable  

Growing numbers of children with tooth decay are being admitted to hospital, damning figures show.

More than 26,000 children aged five to nine were taken to hospital in the past year because of rotten teeth, the NHS figures show – twice as many as those who required treatment for tonsillitis.

The nation’s sugar obsession is playing havoc with our teeth, as well as fuelling rising levels of childhood obesity.

More than 26,000 children aged five to nine were taken to hospital in the past year because of rotten teeth, the NHS figures show

The Royal College of Surgeons said it was a national disgrace that so many young children needed tooth extraction. Spokesman Professor Michael Escudier said: ‘It is disappointing that we haven’t seen the same improvement in the number of children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital for dental decay as we have for other age groups.

‘These children will likely be having teeth removed in hospital under general anaesthetic – something that should never be taken lightly.

‘When you consider that tooth decay is 90 per cent preventable and NHS dental treatment is free for all under-18s, it is disgraceful that so many children in their early years of school are suffering.’ 

The Royal College of Surgeons said it was a national disgrace so many children were treated for tooth extraction

The Royal College of Surgeons said it was a national disgrace so many children were treated for tooth extraction

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