Figures published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in February 2026 recorded 56,143 hospital tooth-extraction episodes among people aged 0 to 19 in 2025 — a 14% increase on the previous year. Of those episodes, 33,976 had tooth decay as the primary diagnosis, an increase of 11%.
The numbers are particularly striking among younger children. For five to nine-year-olds, 86.5% of hospital tooth-extraction episodes were related to decay. Tooth decay also remains the most common reason for hospital admission among children in this age group.
Why Are Children Still Reaching the Point of Extraction?
The latest hospital statistics do not provide a simple answer. They record hospital activity rather than explaining every individual child’s circumstances, and an extraction may be required for a variety of clinical reasons.
The data does, however, separate extractions where tooth decay was the primary diagnosis from those carried out for other reasons. Among younger children, decay clearly dominates.
There is also a significant inequality in who is affected. The rate of decay-related extraction episodes among children and young people living in the most deprived communities was more than three times that seen in the most affluent communities.
That makes childhood tooth decay more than simply a question of whether an individual child brushes properly. Access to dental care, diet, family circumstances, health inequalities and opportunities to establish good oral-health habits can all form part of the wider picture.
The financial impact is considerable too. The NHS estimated that hospital admissions for tooth extractions among 0 to 19-year-olds cost £87.7 million in the financial year ending 2025. Of that, £51.2 million related to decay-related extractions.
Prevention Is Becoming a Bigger Part of Children’s Dental Care
The latest NHS guidance shows how much emphasis is now being placed on intervening earlier.
An updated national clinical standard for children’s and young people’s dental care, published in June 2026, says prevention should be embedded throughout care. It calls for risk-based assessment, early intervention and support that helps children maintain their oral health and reduces the need for operative treatment.
The guidance also says dental contacts should include appropriate advice on issues such as toothbrushing, fluoride, diet and sugar intake rather than concentrating solely on treating an existing problem.
That principle applies well beyond NHS dentistry. We were told by the team at West House Dental, a private dental practice in Pinner, North West London, that early appointments are not simply about spotting decay, but can also help identify the habits and risk factors that may lead to problems later.
It is a subtle but important distinction. A preventive appointment is not simply an opportunity to find a cavity earlier. It can be a chance to understand why a child may be at greater risk in the first place and what might realistically be changed before more extensive treatment becomes necessary.
Schools Are Becoming Part of the Prevention Effort
Dentists and parents are not the only people being brought into that preventive approach.
Supervised toothbrushing programmes are designed to establish effective brushing routines at an age when habits are still developing, particularly in communities where children face a greater risk of poor oral health.
The London programme previously covered by London Post trained more than 215 staff across 61 schools and nurseries to lead daily toothbrushing sessions. The initiative initially focused on three and four-year-olds in more deprived areas before expanding further.
That type of intervention reflects the broader direction set out in the new NHS clinical standard, which calls for children’s dental services to work alongside other community services rather than treating oral health in isolation. The guidance specifically identifies links with areas including health visiting, school nursing, early-years provision and nutrition.
The direction of policy is increasingly clear. Prevention is being pushed further into dental appointments, schools and community services, with more attention being given to risk before serious treatment becomes necessary. The challenge now is turning that preventive approach into fewer children reaching hospital with dental disease in the first place.
