BDA urges government to prioritise tooth decay prevention

The British Dental Association (BDA) has said the government should make the prevention of tooth decay its first priority when it comes to oral health among children.

It made the call in response to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which showed 14,000 children aged five or younger had been admitted to hospital for tooth extractions in 2014-15.

The study also showed the number of children requiring tooth extractions had risen by ten percent in the past four years.

BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said: "Under-fives are ending up in hospital for tooth extractions because successive governments have treated oral health as an afterthought."

Tooth extraction has now emerged as the leading cause of hospital admissions for under-fives, he added.

Mr Armstrong said prevention should take the place of hitting targets, as an "avoidable epidemic" featuring "widening inequalities" in oral health is now evident, caused by excessive sugar consumption.