With dentist appointments becoming more difficult to get in recent years, this has led to people attending A&E with serious cases of tooth decay and dental caries that may have been identified earlier at a dental practice.
Those suffering from dental problems should be treated at their local dentist with regular appointments to avoid severe situations, yet with many dentists not taking on new patients, people are turning up to A&E in their tens of thousands.
According to the BBC and the British Dental Association (BDA), 90% of dentists across the UK are not taking on new NHS adult patients, and many refuse to see a child unless a parent is signed up as a private patient.
To gain a true understanding of the number of people diagnosed with tooth decay, Public Interest Lawyers set out to investigate.
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How We Conducted Our Research Into Tooth Decay In The UK
We sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every NHS Trust in the UK asking how many patients were diagnosed with, attended A&E for or sought treatment for tooth decay or related dental issues in the last 3 years. (Broken down by years 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24)
We also asked how many of these patients were aged between 5-17 and 18 and above during the same three-year period.
Statistics On Tooth Decay In The UK
Tooth decay is the biggest primary cause of NHS hospital admissions for children in England aged between five and 17, as 40% of children no longer have access to regular dental appointments.
Between April 2022 and May 2023, 30,000 children and more than 70,000 adults in England were admitted to A&E with tooth decay.
Many places in the UK are now considered to be ‘dental deserts’, where 100% of dentists are not taking on new patients.
Labour’s analysis of patient survey data suggests that 4.75 million people across England were denied an appointment with an NHS dentist in the past two years.
Hampshire
Patients with tooth decay – Hampshire
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 250
2022/23 | 327
2023/24 | 243
Total | 820
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Hampshire
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 68
2022/23 | 66
2023/24 | 53
Total | 187
North West Anglia
Patients with tooth decay – North West Anglia
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 199
2022/23 | 281
2023/24 | 234
Total | 714
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – North West Anglia
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 30
2022/23 | 41
2023/24 | 40
Total | 111
South Tyneside and Sunderland
Patients with tooth decay – South Tyneside and Sunderland
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 196
2022/23 | 174
2023/24 | 344
Total | 714
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – South Tyneside and Sunderland
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 34
2022/23 | 26
2023/24 | 46
Total | 111
Morecambe
Patients with tooth decay – Morecambe
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 276
2022/23 | 188
2023/24 | 201
Total | 665
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Morecambe
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 25
2022/23 | 20
2023/24 | 9
Total | 54
Lewisham and Greenwich
Patients with tooth decay – Lewisham and Greenwich
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 256
2022/23 | 195
2023/24 | 238
Total | 689
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Lewisham and Greenwich
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 28
2022/23 | 21
2023/24 | 6
Total | 55
Patients with tooth decay – Mid Yorkshire
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 419
2022/23 | 399
2023/24 | 402
Total | 1,220
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Mid Yorkshire
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 38
2022/23 | 41
2023/24 | 50
Total | 129
Surrey
Patients with tooth decay – Surrey
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 326
2022/23 | 300
2023/24 | 286
Total | 912
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Surrey
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 45
2022/23 | 30
2023/24 | 31
Total | 106
Wolverhampton
Patients with tooth decay – Wolverhampton
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 583
2022/23 | 467
2023/24 | 413
Total | 1,463
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Wolverhampton
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 32
2022/23 | 19
2023/24 | 30
Total | 81
Patients with tooth decay – Barnsley
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 130
2022/23 | 118
2023/24 | 127
Total | 375
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Barnsley
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 11
2022/23 | 11
2023/24 | 8
Total | 30
Patients with tooth decay – Chester
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 100
2022/23 | 110
2023/24 | 72
Total | 282
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Chester
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 8
2022/23 | 11
2023/24 | 5
Total | 24
Patients with tooth decay – East Kent
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 100
2022/23 | 110
2023/24 | 72
Total | 282
Swindon
Patients with tooth decay – Swindon
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 177
2022/23 | 145
2023/24 | 132
Total | 454
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Swindon
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 18
2022/23 | 19
2023/24 | 12
Total | 49
Norfolk
Patients with tooth decay – Norfolk
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 133
2022/23 | 109
2023/24 | 135
Total | 377
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Norfolk
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 18
2022/23 | 18
2023/24 | 19
Total | 55
King’s College (London)
Patients with tooth decay – King’s College
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 621
2022/23 | 909
2023/24 | 739
Total | 2269
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – King’s College
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 191
2022/23 | 200
2023/24 | 128
Total | 519
Oxford
Patients with tooth decay – Oxford
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 146
2022/23 | 97
2023/24 | 130
Total | 373
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Oxford
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 15
2022/23 | 11
2023/24 | 11
Total | 37
Devon
Patients with tooth decay – Devon
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 132
2022/23 | 140
2023/24 | 277
Total | 549
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Devon
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 12
2022/23 | 6
2023/24 | 28
Total | 46
Patients with tooth decay – Southampton
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 157
2022/23 | 171
2023/24 | 129
Total | 457
Patients with tooth decay – Southampton
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 22
2022/23 | 18
2023/24 | 22
Total | 62
West Suffolk
Patients with tooth decay – West Suffolk
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 45
2022/23 | 111
2023/24 | 119
Total | 230
Patients with tooth decay – West Suffolk
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 3
2022/23 | 9
2023/24 | 9
Total | 21
Patients with tooth decay – Manchester
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 171
2022/23 | 233
2023/24 | 572
Total | 976
Patients with tooth decay – Manchester
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 15
2022/23 | 66
2023/24 | 97
Total | 178
Leeds
Patients with tooth decay – Leeds
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 169
2022/23 | 142
2023/24 | 146
Total | 457
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Leeds
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 29
2022/23 | 27
2023/24 | 32
Total | 88
Patients with tooth decay – Cornwall
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 92
2022/23 | 107
2023/24 | 109
Total | 308
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Cornwall
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 6
2022/23 | 9
2023/24 | 11
Total | 26
Birmingham
Patients with tooth decay – Birmingham
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 411
2022/23 | 432
2023/24 | 484
Total | 1327
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Birmingham
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 37
2022/23 | 40
2023/24 | 45
Total | 122
South Tees
Patients with tooth decay – South Tees
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 113
2022/23 | 130
2023/24 | 140
Total | 383
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – South Tees
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 31
2022/23 | 23
2023/24 | 34
Total | 88
Derby and Burton
Patients with tooth decay – Derby and Burton
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 245
2022/23 | 248
2023/24 | 355
Total | 848
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Derby and Burton
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 24
2022/23 | 42
2023/24 | 32
Total | 98
Bedfordshire
Patients with tooth decay – Bedfordshire
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 141
2022/23 | 170
2023/24 | 184
Total | 495
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Bedfordshire
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 15
2022/23 | 23
2023/24 | 25
Total | 63
Salisbury
Patients with tooth decay – Salisbury
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 447
2022/23 | 495
2023/24 | 478
Total | 1420
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Salisbury
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 228
2022/23 | 236
2023/24 | 225
Total | 689
Hertfordshire
Patients with tooth decay – Hertfordshire
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 334
2022/23 | 345
2023/24 | 343
Total | 1022
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Hertfordshire
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 21
2022/23 | 36
2023/24 | 35
Total | 92
Warrington and Halton
Patients with tooth decay – Warrington and Halton
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 471
2022/23 | 399
2023/24 | 523
Total | 1393
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Warrington and Halton
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 42
2022/23 | 30
2023/24 | 50
Total | 122
Lincolnshire
Patients with tooth decay – Lincolnshire
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 579
2022/23 | 857
2023/24 | 671
Total | 2107
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Lincolnshire
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 354
2022/23 | 388
2023/24 | 203
Total | 945
Mersey and West Lancashire
Patients with tooth decay – Mersey and West Lancashire
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 119
2022/23 | 86
2023/24 | 88
Total | 293
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Mersey and West Lancashire
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 14
2022/23 | 17
2023/24 | 15
Total | 46
Shrewsbury and Telford
Patients with tooth decay – Shrewsbury and Telford
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 282
2022/23 | 218
2023/24 | 221
Total | 721
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Shrewsbury and Telford
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 40
2022/23 | 20
2023/24 | 34
Total | 94
Northampton
Patients with tooth decay – Northampton
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 560
2022/23 | 665
2023/24 | 593
Total | 1818
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Northampton
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 147
2022/23 | 264
2023/24 | 185
Total | 596
Leicester
Patients with tooth decay – Leicester
No. of patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 943
2022/23 | 888
2023/24 | 843
Total | 2674
Patients with tooth decay (U18) – Leicester
No. of under 18 patients diagnosed with tooth decay
2021/22 | 102
2022/23 | 93
2023/24 | 109
Total | 304