Tooth decay leading cause of hospital admissions among young children

New figures published today have revealed that tooth decay outpaces other common childhood conditions, including acute tonsillitis, as the leading cause of hospital admissions among 5- to 9-year-olds in England.

The data, published by NHS England data showed that 21,162 children aged 5 to 9 were admitted to hospital in 2024/2025 due to tooth decay, compared to 13,667 children admitted for acute tonsillitis, making decay the leading cause of hospital admissions in this age group.

The number of 5- to 9-year-olds admitted to hospital due to decay has also risen slightly when compared to the previous year.

Figures released by the NHS Business Services Authority last month showed more than 43% of children have not seen an NHS dentist in the past year. The government has also said that as many as 70 children a day undergo tooth extractions due to decay. Taken together with today’s findings, the data reveals a deeply troubling picture of children’s oral health in England.

Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:

"These figures are a public health emergency. Tooth decay is entirely preventable, yet thousands of children are hospitalised every year for procedures that could have been avoided with simple daily habits and better access to an NHS dentist. The government’s dental contract must be boldly overhauled if they want to improve patient access and outcomes.

"The government’s commitment to supervised toothbrushing schemes is welcome, but it is not a fix-all solution. The programme must be sustained, not a one-off, reaching as many children as possible and helping families build lasting brushing habits at home.

"We also urge the government to strengthen the Soft Drinks Industry Levy by lowering the sugar threshold from 5g to 4g per 100ml and extending it to milk-based drinks. This would be a major step towards protecting children’s oral health.

"Every child in hospital with tooth decay is proof that prevention has failed. We must act now to spare children needless pain, time off school, and avoidable surgery.”

ENDS 

Notes to editors:

Further comment: Professor Sondos Albadri, a paediatric dental surgeon and a board member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:

“As a consultant in paediatric dentistry with 15 years of experience and in an area of deprivation, I have seen a worrying trend: instead of declining, the number of children requiring dental extractions continues to rise, with waiting lists for general anaesthetic procedures growing longer each year. The severity of dental disease is getting worse, with many children presenting with multiple affected teeth and alarmingly, I now see children losing their permanent teeth at an early age due to extensive, preventable, decay."

1. The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to enabling dentists and specialists to provide patients with the highest possible standards of practice and care. 

2. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients. 

3. NHS Business Services Authority published data in August showing that more than 43% of children have not seen an NHS dentist in the past year - https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425 

4. Government released a press release on 16 September 2025 stating that tooth decay “remains the most common reason for a 5 to 9-year-old child to be admitted to hospital in England, with 70 a day having teeth extracted due to decay.” - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hundreds-of-thousands-of-children-benefit-from-major-dental-health-drive 

5. The Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England has two recommendations to reduce the number of children being admitted to hospital for tooth decay
   
   Good oral hygiene and rolling out the Supervised Toothbrushing programme year-round; The Supervised Toothbrushing programme should be implemented year-round to ensure that as many children as possible benefit and establish positive brushing habits that they can continue at home. Children should brush their teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and see a dentist regularly. 
   
   Reduce sugar consumption by strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL); Sugar is one of the leading causes of tooth decay. When we consume sugary foods or drinks - such as sweets, fizzy drinks, or fruit juice - the bacteria in our mouths feed on the sugar and produce acid as a by-product which causes tooth decay. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) should be strengthened by lowering the sugar threshold from 5g of sugar per 100ml to 4g and extending the levy to include sugary milk-based drinks.
   
   
6. For more information, please contact the RCS England press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6060; email:pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.