Tooth decay issues among young children in England are “truly Dickensian,” a minister says as he warns there is no overnight fix for dentistry in the United Kingdom.
Social Care Minister Stephen Kinnock said the UK government “inherited a mess” but is committed to reforming the dental contract and working with the British Dental Association to focus on prevention.
He also told parliament that a “staggering” 28 per cent of the country has an unmet need for publicly-funded National Health Service (NHS) dentistry, adding: “That’s 13 million people, so there are so many issues that we need to resolve.”
Data published by the NHS in September suggests that tooth decay remains the leading cause for hospital admissions among five to nine-year-olds in England.
Specifically, 19,381 children in this age bracket were admitted to hospital in 2023/24 because of tooth decay.
Speaking at health questions in the Commons, Kinnock told Labour MP Lee Pitcher: “The scale of the problem that he points out is massive.
“One of the most shocking statistics I discovered since I took up this position is the most common reason for children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital is for tooth decay.
“It is completely and utterly shocking, it is truly Dickensian.”
Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, said: “The horror stories I hear in my constituency are just awful.
“From the mum who couldn’t find an NHS dentist after five years on the Isle of Axholme and carries out her own treatment to her son, to the gentleman whose teeth are crumbling due to illness – causing horrendous pain – who cannot get an appointment in Doncaster East.
“The government’s pledge to provide more emergency appointments is great but I know it’ll take time to rebuild dentistry.”
Kinnock said South Yorkshire has the “highest level of hospital tooth extractions” in England, adding: “I want to assure him that we will target interventions at areas of greatest need.”
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