The Government is being urged to take “radical” action – such as expanding the sugar tax and banning the sale of energy drinks to youngsters – in a bid to tackle “staggering” levels of tooth decay in children across England.
A joint report from the Child of the North project and the Centre for Young Lives – a think tank founded by former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield – said ministers should “ignore any accusations of a nanny state”.
Among its recommendations is a call for the Government to develop a national child oral health strategy with a focus on reducing sugar consumption.
The organisations suggest this could be achieved by expanding the so-called sugar tax to include sugary milk drinks.
The report also calls for restrictions on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s, optimising fluoride exposure, and bolstering access to dental care.
Tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admissions among five to nine-year-olds in England.
According to the report, 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.
Ms Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said: “It is staggering that so many children, particularly in the north of England and those living in low-income families, are now growing up with tooth decay and suffering from toothache and discomfort.
“This can affect their quality of life, sleep patterns, eating habits, and impact on school readiness and attendance, speech and language development, and overall confidence. In some areas it has sadly become the norm.
“Many children are not only missing out on NHS dental healthcare but are more likely to suffer tooth decay from a younger age.”
Earlier this year, figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) showed there were 47,581 tooth extractions in NHS hospitals in England for patients aged 0 to 19 in 2023.
Some 66% of extractions – or 31,165 – were down to a primary diagnosis of tooth decay, up 17% from the previous 12 months.
During the period, hospital admissions for childhood tooth extractions cost NHS hospitals £64.3 million, with decay-related extractions costing £40.7 million.
Paula Waterhouse, president of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, said: “It is time to establish an oral health strategy for children and young people across England.
“The evidence base garnered by existing oral health research should be used to inform Government strategy and implementation of both national and local policies.
“We need to act now.
“Our children’s health depends on it and it’s everybody’s business – parents, dental and medical teams, health visitors, industry, education colleagues, and policy makers.
“We all have a part to play.”
Camilla Kingdon, immediate past president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, welcomed the report.
She said: “This shows that there is so much that can be done to tackle the problem.
“The many spin-offs of a robust national strategy to improve children’s oral health would be potentially significant – benefits for tackling obesity as well as mental health issues, and potentially improving school attendance, amongst other things.
“The impact of poor oral health stretches way beyond childhood and so every one of us should see this as a key health promotion and disease prevention strategy that benefits the whole nation.”
Ahead of July’s general election, the Labour manifesto pledged to introduce supervised toothbrushing for three to five-year olds.
Ms Longfield described this as a “positive step forward”.
“The Government’s proposals for a programme of supervised teeth-brushing in schools is a positive step forward, as is its overall focus on boosting children’s wellbeing,” she 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 to develop a national plan to tackle a rotten teeth 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 cause of children going into that hospital between the ages of six and 10 was to have their rotting teeth taken out,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was genuinely shocked.
“Can you think of anything more soul-destroying? For those children what a price to pay.
“And for that brilliant NHS team who want to use their talents to save lives, instead spending their time taking out rotting teeth. Something that could be so easily prevented.”
The speech came after more details emerged on how Labour will tackle obesity in children.
On Thursday, a written statement from health minister Andrew Gwynne said the Government would introduce a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising on TV and online, as well as a total ban on paid-for online ads.
He said: “These restrictions will help protect children from being exposed to advertising of less healthy food and drinks, which evidence shows influences their dietary preferences from a young age.”
