State of childen's tooth decay in UK is 'truly Dickensian' amid dentistry crisis

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock has described the state of tooth decay among England's youngsters as "truly Dickensian", admitting there's no quick fix for the dentistry crisis.

Mr Kinnock acknowledged the government "inherited a mess" but is determined to overhaul the dental contract and collaborate with the British Dental Association (BDA) to prioritise prevention and keep dentists on board. He also highlighted to MPs the "staggering" fact that 28% of the population, or 13 million people, are in dire need of NHS dental services.

Recent NHS data from September reveals that tooth decay is still the top reason for hospital admissions among children aged five to nine in England, with 19,381 kids hospitalised in the year 2023/24 due to this issue. Addressing health questions in the Commons, Mr Kinnock responded to Labour MP Lee Pitcher, saying: "The scale of the problem that he points out is massive.

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"One of the most shocking statistics I discovered since I took up this position is the most common reason for children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital is for tooth decay. It is completely and utterly shocking, it is truly Dickensian. We cannot fix this overnight therefore. We’re committed to reforming the dental contract, working with the BDA to focus on prevention and retention of NHS dentists."

Additionally, he mentioned efforts to provide patients with access to 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments. Mr Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, shared some harrowing tales from his constituency: "The horror stories I hear in my constituency are just awful."

He recounted the plight of a mother who has been unable to find an NHS dentist for five years on the Isle of Axholme and has resorted to treating her son herself, as well as a man whose deteriorating teeth cause him excruciating pain but can't secure an appointment in Doncaster East.

Mr Pitcher acknowledged the Government's commitment to more emergency dental appointments but stressed the urgency to rebuild dentistry: "So can the minister reassure me that people in my constituency will be given the priority that they deserve?"

In response, Mr Kinnock highlighted South Yorkshire as having the "highest level of hospital tooth extractions" in England, and assured targeted interventions: "I want to assure him that we will target interventions at areas of greatest need."

He detailed measures such as the 'golden hello' scheme to attract new graduate dentists to underserved areas for three years and concluded with a promise: "We have inherited a mess and we’re working at pace to clear it up."