Tooth decay crisis: 600,000 children get brushing lessons as hospital extractions rise
Nearly 34,000 children had teeth extracted in hospital due to severe decay, an 11% rise, while schools launch brushing programmes.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A national crisis in children's dental health has prompted a new push to teach 600,000 young children in England how to brush their teeth properly. The move comes as the latest hospital figures show more than 56,000 tooth extractions among children and young people in a year, with nearly 34,000 of those caused by severe decay, an increase of 11% on the previous year.
At a Birmingham dental surgery, staff say the problem is worse than ever. Around 70% of child patients there have tooth decay, and the practice is referring increasing numbers to hospital for extractions under general anaesthetic because the children cannot cope with treatment in the chair. One dentist with more than 40 years' experience said: "It is worse than ever. I've been here for 40 years plus and what I've seen now is not what I've ever seen before." She blamed the easy availability of sugar and parents using sweets to keep children quiet.
Volunteers and school staff are trying to change habits. In Nottingham, a class brushes its teeth every day as part of the curriculum. A teacher said the number of urgent referral letters sent home has dropped drastically since the programme began. "When we first started the tooth brushing programme, when we were having the dentists and oral hygienists coming to school, the amount of letters we were sending home with children needing to go to the dentist for urgent help to now has drastically improved."
But dentists argue that more needs to be done at a wider level. Dr Issi Mahmood, a dentist in North London, said the rise in extractions is "a shocking indictment" and that access to NHS dentistry for children is now "impossible" in some areas. She said: "Just looking around my local area, getting access to NHS dentistry, the children are free until age 18, is now impossible. There's, I think where I live in North London, there's one practice that's open that's taking children. So the parents are there, but it's not all their fault. The government, NHS, NHS England is being wrapped up. So it comes down to funding and until we can entice dentists to stay open in the NHS and accept new patients, it's going to be difficult."
The consensus among those working in the field is that responsibility lies with the government, health authorities, the food industry, and parents. The school brushing programme is one part of the solution, but the underlying causes of sugar consumption and limited access to dental care remain urgent.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| 600,000 young children in England are being targeted with teeth cleaning lessons. | |
| Access to NHS dentistry for children is impossible in some areas, with only one practice in North London taking children. | |
| Children and young people had more than 56,000 tooth extractions in England's hospitals, with nearly 34,000 due to severe decay. | |
| Children and young people had more than 56,000 tooth extractions in England's hospitals. | |
| Nearly 34,000 tooth extractions were due to severe tooth decay, an 11% increase on the previous year. | |
| Nearly 70% of child patients at a Birmingham surgery have tooth decay. | |
| Severe tooth decay extractions increased by 11% compared to the previous year. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This broadcast framed the story as a public awareness issue, opening with a quiz question to the presenters about the main reason children end up in hospital. The report focuses on the human impact, the scale of the problem, and the practical response of school brushing programmes. It does not include any political or NHS funding analysis, keeping the tone lighter and more consumer oriented.
- “It is a national crisis, I feel.”
- “When we first started the tooth brushing programme, when we were having the dentists and oral hygienists coming to school, the amount of letters we were sending home with children needing to go to the dentist for urgent help to now has drastically improved.”
This is the main Sky News bulletin version, which includes the same report but adds an interview with a dentist, Dr Issi Mahmood, who highlights the systemic problems of NHS dental access and funding. The editorial tone is more serious and political, pointing to government and NHS responsibility rather than just parental behaviour. It retains the human interest and school programme coverage but layers on a call for structural action.
- “It is a shocking indictment of children's teeth generally and the fact that it's gone up by 11% it's on last year, that really is shocking.”
- “So it comes down to funding and until we can entice dentists to stay open in the NHS and accept new patients, it's going to be difficult.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.