Dentists appeal to parents and government to end costly scourge of sugar on children’s teeth

The latest annual data on NHS spending in 2015/16 seen by the LGA reveals there were 40,800 extractions of multiple teeth in under-18s in England at a cost of more than £35.6m. There has been an almost 11 per cent rise in the number of operations since 2012/13, when the number stood at 36,833.

Commenting on the figures released by the LGA, Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said:

“The awful impact sugar is having on our children’s teeth is brutally evident in the number of under-18s we are seeing daily that need more than one tooth extracted due to tooth decay. It is shameful that a problem which is 90 per cent preventable continues to plague our children in this way and is costing struggling councils millions annually.

“Having teeth removed can be very traumatising for children and  requires  time away from school for them, as well as time away from work for their parents. The Government’s sugar tax will go some way to cutting the sugar consumption that leads to tooth decay but it also needs to support public health campaigns that remind parents of good oral health.