The Government is being called on to take “radical” measures – such as extending the sugar tax and banning the sale of energy drinks to young people – in a bid to tackle “skyrocketing” levels of tooth decay in children across England.
A joint report by the Child of the North project and the Center for Young Lives – a think tank founded by former Children’s Commissioner for England Ann Longfield – said ministers should “ignore any accusations of a nanny state ».
Among its recommendations is a call for the government to develop a national children’s oral health strategy with a focus on reducing sugar consumption.
The organizations suggest that this could be achieved by extending the so-called sugar tax to include sweetened milk drinks.
The report also calls for restrictions on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s, optimization of fluoride exposure and increased access to dental care.
Tooth decay is the most common cause of hospital admission between the ages of five and nine in England.
It is also more common among families living in deprived areas, with “much higher levels” of tooth decay in children in the north of England, according to the report.
Ms Longfield, executive chair of the Center for Young Lives, said: “It is shocking that so many children, particularly in the north of England and those living in low-income families, are now growing up with cavities and suffering from toothache and discomfort.
“This can affect their quality of life, sleep patterns, eating habits and affect school readiness and attendance, speech and language development and overall self-confidence. In some areas it has unfortunately become the norm.
“Not only are many children missing out on NHS dental care, they are more likely to develop tooth decay from an early age.”
Earlier this year, figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Inequalities (OHID) showed that in 2023 there were 47,581 tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in England for patients aged 0 to 19 years.
Around 66% of exports – or 31,165 – were for the primary diagnosis of tooth decay, a 17% increase on the previous 12 months.
During the period, hospital admissions for child tooth extractions cost NHS hospitals £64.3 million, with caries-related extractions costing £40.7 million.
Paula Waterhouse, chair of the British Society of Pediatric Dentistry, said: “It is time to establish an oral health strategy for children and young people across England.
“The evidence base gathered from existing oral health research should be used to inform government strategy and the implementation of both national and local policies.
“We must act now.
“Our children’s health depends on it and it is everyone’s business – parents, dental and medical teams, health visitors, industry, education colleagues and politicians.
“We all have a role to play.”
Camilla Kingdon, immediate past president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, welcomed the report.
He said: “This shows that there is so much that can be done to tackle the problem.
“The many side effects of a strong national strategy to improve children’s oral health would be potentially significant – benefits in tackling obesity as well as mental health issues and potentially improving school attendance, among others.
“The impact of poor oral health extends far beyond childhood and so each of us should see this as a key health promotion and disease prevention strategy that benefits the entire nation.”
Ahead of July’s general election, Labour’s manifesto pledged to introduce supervised tooth brushing for three to five-year-olds.
Ms Longfield described it as a “positive step forward”.
“The Government’s proposals for a supervised toothbrushing program in schools is a positive step forward, as is its overall focus on boosting children’s wellbeing,” he said.
“We urge ministers to be radical, go much further and ignore any accusations of a ‘nanny state’.
“We need to take evidence-based action and develop a national plan to address a tooth decay crisis affecting millions of our children.”
Speaking about the NHS at the King’s Fund on Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recalled a visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.
“The single biggest reason children went to this hospital between the ages of six and 10 was to have their rotten teeth removed,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was honestly shocked.
“Can you think of anything more soul-destroying? For these children what a price to pay.
“And for this brilliant NHS team who want to use their talents to save lives, rather than spend their time pulling out rotten teeth. Something that could so easily have been avoided.”
The speech came as more details emerged about how Labor will tackle childhood obesity.
On Thursday, a written statement from Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said the government would introduce a 9pm cutoff for junk food advertising on TV and online, as well as a complete ban on paid online ads.
He said: “These restrictions will help protect children from being exposed to advertising of less healthy food and drink, which evidence shows affects their dietary preferences from an early age.”
