Hospital tooth extractions for children in England fall by over half in pandemic

British Dental Association says tens of thousands left in pain after sharp drop in NHS procedures in 2020-21

Dentists have warned that tens of thousands of children have been left in pain for more than a year, as new figures reveal that the number of tooth extractions for children in hospital in England more than halved during the pandemic.

The number of extractions performed on decayed teeth in children aged 19 and under decreased from 35,190 in 2019-20 to 14,615 in 2020-21, data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows.