Darlington has some of the worst child dental decay in North East

New figures show a sharp rise in people aged 19 or younger in the town undergoing special treatment to stop the rot. A total of 115 children had at least one tooth removed in hospital in the 12 months to March 2022 – up from around 60 the year before

Dental decay is often cited as the first sign of poor healthcare and is the most common reason for hospital admission in children aged six to 10.

Children living in the most deprived communities are around 3.5 times more likely to have teeth out due to decay than those in the most affluent areas. However, Darlington health officials have warned that the town has some of the worst figures in the North East. 

Public Health Principal, Ken Ross told a recent council meeting: “We have too many children with dental decay. Hartlepool is more deprived but has better dental healthcare than Darlington.

“The decay in the teeth is a canary in the mine for future obesity.”

A total of 135 extractions were undertaken in the area last year, meaning decay accounted for 85 per cent of all procedures. 

But total extractions remain below pre-pandemic levels, and the British Dental Association said the data "understates the level of demand, given huge backlogs and only partial recovery of elective services". 

It comes as practices are not taking on new patients due to a shortage of dentists and surging waiting lists. Some children are yet to see a dentist for the first time and others are in agony after waiting years for simple procedures like fillings, as experts warn it could take two years to clear the backlog. 

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A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Good oral health is incredibly important and the number of children seen by NHS dentists increased by 44 per cent in the last year. 

"Likewise in hospitals, 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. 

"The number of dentists increased by over 500 last year and the government is investing more than £3 billion in NHS dentistry so people can access services when they need them."