The most common reason for children aged under six years old to be admitted to hospital is to have teeth removed, the vast majority of which are due to preventable tooth decay. Each year in England around 60,000 school days are missed because children need to have tooth extractions, and in London boroughs alone, the NHS spends approximately £7 million for acute dental care for children, including emergency extractions.
A British Dental Association (BDA) spokesperson states, ‘Between 25 and 40 per cent of five year olds across the UK have had tooth decay for a range of reasons, including a sugary diet, poor dental hygiene and, in much of the country, a lack of fluoride. Left untreated, tooth decay can cause severe pain, problems eating and sleeping, sepsis, and disrupt learning and development.’
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