Health Minister Stephen Kinnock has branded the tooth decay crisis among youngsters in England as “truly Dickensian”, cautioning against expectations of a quick solution to the country’s dentistry woes. He claimed the current government “inherited a mess”.
Mr Kinnock underscored the commitment to revamp the dental contract, engaging with the British Dental Association (BDA) to prioritise prevention and keep NHS dentists on board. Addressing MPs, he revealed the astonishing fact that 28% of the population have unmet dental needs under the NHS, translating to some 13 million individuals grappling with untreated issues.
Recent NHS data, reported in September, highlights that tooth decay is the top reason for hospital admissions in five to nine-year-olds within England—tallying up to 19,381 young patients in 2023/24 alone due to such incidents.
In a session at health questions in the Commons, Mr Kinnock responded to Labour MP Lee Pitcher, emphasising the enormity of the challenge: “The scale of the problem that he points out is massive. 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.”
Mr Kinnock added: “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. We’re also working at pace to ensure that patients can access 700,000 additional 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. From the mum who couldn’t find an NHS dentist after five years on the Isle of Axholme and carries out her own treatment to her son, to the gentleman whose teeth are crumbling due to illness – causing horrendous pain – who cannot get an appointment in Doncaster East.”
He questioned the Government’s commitment to dental care, asking: “The Government’s pledge to provide more emergency appointments is great, but I know it’ll take time 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’s dire dental health situation, stating: “I want to assure him that we will target interventions at areas of greatest need. For example, integrated care boards have started to advertise roles through our ‘golden hello’ scheme that will drive recruitment of graduate dentists to areas of greatest need for three years. We have inherited a mess and we’re working at pace to clear it up.”