Tooth decay still top cause of hospital admissions for five to nine year olds

New NHS England figures show that tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admissions among young children. Nearly 22,000 children aged five to nine were admitted to hospital for tooth decay in 2025 to 2026, up around 3% on the previous figures. At the same time, new dental figures show that 40% of children have not seen a dentist at all in the past year.

Dr Urshla Devalia, from the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, said the statistics were shocking but not surprising. She said little had changed over the last decade. Children living in more deprived areas are three times more likely to end up on general anaesthetic hospital lists, she added.

Dr Devalia stressed that dental decay is almost entirely preventable. The latest government figures show around 70 children a day go to hospital to have a tooth or teeth extracted. She said this is only the tip of the iceberg because extractions in community settings are missing from the data.

She said dental decay can often go unseen and is usually noticed when a child presents in pain and seeks a dentist. The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry is pushing for early access to dental care for every child and young person, ideally before the age of one or by the time the first tooth comes through.

She called for a wider preventive approach, with every health care professional sharing evidence-based messages rather than relying only on dentists. The BSPD supports an initiative called Mini Mouth Care Matters, which is built around making every contact count.

For families struggling to get an NHS dentist or any dentist, Dr Devalia urged them to engage with a local practice and keep calling, noting that websites are not always updated. If a child is in dental pain, she said, families should call NHS 111 to try to access urgent care.

The key preventive steps she highlighted were:

• Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
• Spitting after brushing and not rinsing with water, so the toothpaste stays on the teeth.
• Using supervised toothbrushing programmes where available.
• Getting access to a dentist.
• Making healthy food and drink choices.

She said the aim was to move to a more preventive approach, rather than operations and hospital general anaesthetic lists.