CYP Now - Disadvantaged children have triple the chance of decay-related tooth extraction

Children and young people living in the most deprived areas of England are nearly three-and-a-half times more likely than their more affluent peers to have teeth removed in hospital due to severe decay, government figures show.

Oral health awareness can be built from the early years. Picture: Lagom/Adobe Stock

The data highlight 'stark inequalities' in oral health, according to the Local Government Association. Picture: AdobeStock

The figures reveal there were 394 hospital tooth extractions per 100,000 under 19-year-olds in the most disadvantaged areas in 2024, compared to 117 per 100,000 in the most affluent areas.

The data also shows a regional divide, with rates of decayed tooth extraction six and a half times higher more likely in the worst performing area, Yorkshire and the Humber, compared to the best performing area, the East Midlands.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), which has released the figures, notes that there have been decreases in the number of admissions among young people for tooth decay in most regions since the Covid-19 pandemic.

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