Cost of Treating Tooth Decay in Children Spirals to £35 Million
The cost of treating tooth decay in children has spiralled to £35 million, figures have confirmed. In the last five years, the cost of extracting teeth in hospitals has increased by 66 percent.
In the last five years alone, the NHS has spent more than £140 million on removing decayed teeth from children across the country. These figures are alarming, especially given that the vast majority of decay cases are preventable.
Responding to the statistics, the Local Government Association (LGA) has called for tough measures to target rising sugar consumption. Most children consume more than the recommended daily intake of sugar and this is undoubtedly contributing to soaring rates of decay.
The government recently announced the introduction of a sugar tax on fizzy drinks, but more needs to be done to improve education and encourage children and adults to make healthier food choices. The LGA is working on a child obesity strategy designed to tackle unhealthy eating habits and bring down government spending on treating preventable illnesses.
Britain is among the highest ranked countries when it comes to fizzy drink consumption. 40 percent of youngsters aged between 11 and 15 years old have at least one can of fizzy drink per day, compared to 18.5 percent in Germany.
Community wellbeing spokesperson for the LGA, Izzi Seccombe, said that children are developing decay due to their sugary diets and urgent action must be taken to prevent the situation from getting even more serious in the future.
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