Council leaders have called on the Government to use the spring budget to recommit to the sugar levy after new data reveals a dramatic increase in children’s tooth extractions.

New data from the Government’s Office for Health Improvement & Disparities has revealed that there were nearly 27,000 episodes of tooth extractions due to tooth decay for 0 to 19 year olds in 2021/22.

This represents an 83% increase in tooth decay-related extractions on the previous financial year, which is likely to reflect a partial recovery of hospital services following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research also found a correlation between deprivation and tooth decay.

Responding to the findings, Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Community Wellbeing Board, called for more to be done to tackle diet related ill health.

‘It is alarming that children who live in areas with the highest levels of deprivation and limited access to dentists are five times more likely to have teeth extracted in hospital due to decay than those in the least deprived areas,’ he said.

‘Untreated dental conditions remain one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children and young people’s ability to speak, eat, play and socialise. Oral health inequality is expected to grow owing to the scale of backlogs in primary care, which limit the chance to catch problems early.

‘The Government should use the upcoming Spring Budget to recommit to vital measures to combat diet related ill health and childhood obesity, such as the sugar levy which has helped cut down the consumption of drinks with high sugar content.’