New official statistics released today by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) have revealed a “horrific” spike in the number of children undergoing hospital tooth extractions. In the financial year ending 2025, 33,976 children and young people (aged 0-19) underwent extractions due to tooth decay—an 11% increase compared to the previous year.
The data confirms that despite being a wholly preventable condition, tooth decay remains the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children in England.
The 2025 report highlights a deepening oral health crisis, with the financial burden on the NHS growing alongside the number of procedures. The cost of decay-related extractions for the 0-19 age group has climbed to £51.2 million, up from £45.8 million just twelve months ago.
For the youngest patients, the figures are particularly stark. Children aged 5 to 9 remain the most affected group. In 2024/25, 21,162 children in this age bracket were admitted to hospital for tooth decay. To put this into perspective, this is 65% higher than the number of children admitted for acute tonsillitis (13,667), traditionally the second most common cause for admission.
The report also exposes the widening gap of health inequality across the UK. Children living in the most deprived communities are now 3.5 times more likely to undergo a hospital extraction than those in the most affluent areas.
Geographical disparities remain extreme. While regions like the East Midlands reported lower rates, areas such as Yorkshire and the Humber continue to see rates significantly higher than the national average, reflecting a “dental desert” effect where access to routine NHS care is most restricted.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has reacted with fury to the figures. BDA Chair Eddie Crouch described the statistics as a “badge of dishonour for governments past and present.”
“Tooth decay cannot go unchallenged as the number one reason for child hospital admissions,” Crouch remarked. “While targeted preventive programmes like supervised toothbrushing are now in place, there is still little sign that the government is willing to rebuild access to care. Dentists can’t nip these problems in the bud if we don’t get to see the patients in the first place.”
The latest data suggests that while some preventative schemes are reaching up to 600,000 children in nurseries, the “recovery” of NHS dentistry has stalled. Recent figures show that 43% of children have not seen an NHS dentist in the past year.
The BDA and other leading health bodies are calling for:
Urgent Dental Contract Reform: To make NHS dentistry a viable career and increase capacity.
Targeted Investment: Moving beyond “stop-gap” urgent care funding toward long-term preventative check-ups.
Water Fluoridation: Expanding public health measures to protect the most vulnerable communities.
As the costs—both human and financial—continue to rise, the message from the dental profession is clear: the current situation is not inevitable, but the result of sustained political choices.
Also commenting on the data, Jo Cooper, General Manager, Haleon UK&I, said: “The latest data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows an 11% increase in hospital tooth extractions linked to tooth decay among children and young people. This significant rise is a worrying reminder that too many are still experiencing preventable oral health problems. Prevention must be prioritised, with stronger action to help families build good oral health habits from an early age. Haleon supports families to achieve better everyday health through trusted brands such as Aquafresh, Corsodyl and Sensodyne. We also deliver programmes like Aquafresh Shine Bright, a free education initiative for children aged 0 to 8 that provides fun, curriculum-aligned resources to help establish lifelong oral hygiene habits.”
Meanwhile, Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), explained that, “No child should be hospitalised for a disease that is almost entirely preventable. Tooth decay is causing unnecessary pain, missed school days and avoidable hospital admissions at a higher rate in 2025 than the year before. This direction of travel must be reversed.
“Evaluation of the supervised toothbrushing scheme is a welcome step. It will give us a clearer picture of what works and where further improvements are needed. If the government is to meet its goal of transforming the NHS dental system by 2035, it must ensure every child can see a dentist when they need to. A postcode must never dictate a child’s health.”
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has called for the expansion of initiatives such as Child Friendly / Focused Dental Practices (CFDP), which have been shown to successfully treat two thirds of children who would otherwise have been referred into stretched community or hospital dental services.
Dr Oosh Devalia, BSPD President, said: “Care must be taken not to read too much into variations in the hospital episode statistics just released, since this information is not a complete data set. For example, activity within Community-based services is significant and often not included. BSPD urges policymakers to keep a steady focus on the priorities that we know will help turn around children’s oral health – such as supervised toothbrushing, community water fluoridation and early access to dental teams.
“Last year I issued my BSPD President’s Charter which outlined nine priorities to support children and young people to enjoy good oral health. These guidelines for policymakers include the integration of oral health into other healthcare settings, with initiatives such as Mini Mouth Care Matters, the enabling of children and young people with special educational needs to be able to benefit from oral health initiatives and every child having access to oral health information in a language and format they can understand. We also need to cut under 16s’ sugar consumption – and importantly push for every child to have a ‘dental home’, with access to a dental check by their first birthday. Together these interventions will get to work on bringing the hospital episode numbers down for children.”
