A BRADFORD MP has hit out at the availability of NHS dentists after "shocking" figures revealed hundreds of Bradford children had rotting teeth removed last year.

Data from the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows a significant increase in hospitals removing under-19 year olds' decaying teeth across England following the coronavirus pandemic.

The OHID figures show 395 children aged 19 or younger in Bradford had at least one tooth removed in hospital due to decay in the 12 months to March 2022 – up from around 95 the year before but down from 1,080 in 2019-20, before the pandemic.

It meant around 255 in every 100,000 children underwent a tooth extraction for decay last year.

A total of 495 extractions were undertaken in Bradford, meaning decay accounted for 80 per cent of all procedures.

Nationally, 42,200 tooth extractions were conducted on children in hospitals last year – up from 22,500 the year before but still below pre-pandemic levels.

Of them, 26,700 were due to tooth decay, an 83 per cent rise on 2020-21.

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, said: "These figures are shocking; each one is a child in unnecessary pain.

"It is almost impossible to get an NHS dentist in Bradford, so parents are forced to either pay for expensive private treatment they cannot afford or watch their children live in pain until the decay is so bad that going to A&E is the only option.

"Funding for NHS dentistry has fallen by a third over the last decade.

"For eight years, I have sounded the alarm on NHS dentistry but despite government minister after minister agreeing with me that reform is needed, little has changed.

"Getting an NHS dentist should not be a luxury; it is a necessity. Early prevention is the key to good oral health.

"People are fed up to the back teeth with excuses and the government is letting our children down."

Tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admission in children aged six to 10, while the data also showed children living in the most deprived communities are 3.5 times more likely to have teeth out due to decay than those in the most affluent areas.

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: "Decay and deprivation are going hand in hand, and this inequality is set to widen."

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "The number of children seen by NHS dentists increased by 44 per cent in the last year.

"We have seen an increase in hospital operations for tooth extraction for those aged 0-19 as oral healthcare services continue to recover from the pandemic."

 

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