AN increase in the number of children in the region with preventable tooth extractions is a 'national scandal', a campaigner has said.

Government data released on Tuesday shows a rise in the number of preventable tooth extractions in those aged 19 and under.

In Suffolk, there were a total of 595 tooth extractions in children and young people in the year to April 2025 – of these, 300 listed caries (tooth decay) as the primary reason.

The year before, there were 555 total extractions in Suffolk, with 275 being related to tooth decay.

Mark Jones, co-founder of the Toothless in Suffolk campaign group, said the numbers were deeply concerning, but not surprising.

"No area should accept any child losing teeth to decay that could have been prevented with timely access to check-ups, advice, and treatment," he said.

"Too many families in Suffolk and across the East of England – and indeed England-wide – simply cannot register with an NHS dentist, leading to delayed care, worsening decay, and ultimately hospital extractions as a last resort."

'Enough excuses'

Nationally, more than 56,000 extractions were recorded, nearly 34,000 of which were due to preventable tooth decay, both increases from the previous year.

Extractions related to tooth decay are especially prevalent in children aged nine and under, who make up more than 80 per cent of extractions for their age group.

Mr Jones, who also founded Toothless in England, said the data amounted to one child or young person needing a hospital extraction every 15 minutes.

"A child's tooth yanked out under general anaesthetic every 15 minutes isn't a statistic; it's a national disgrace and a damning indictment of a broken NHS dental system that's failing our most vulnerable," he said.

"Enough excuses – the government and the ICBs must fix the access crisis now, or own the pain they're inflicting on the next generation."

Nicola Brunning, deputy director of dental commissioning at the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB), said the region had systems in place to support good oral health from an early age.

She said: "Reducing tooth decay is a key priority for the ICB, and we are committed to ensuring children, young people and their families have access to the support, services and preventative programmes that help promote good oral health."

Urgent dental care is available for both children and adults by calling NHS 111 or contacting NHS111 online.

'Frightening complications'

In neighbouring Norfolk, tooth extraction figures for those aged 19 and under were lower at 355, with 125 of these being due to preventable decay.

Adrian Ramsay, whose Waveney Valley constituency straddles both counties, said the statistics were 'deeply alarming'.

The MP, who has campaigned to end 'dental deserts' in the region, called on the Government to confirm funding for undergraduate dental places at the University of East Anglia.

He said: "These statistics are shocking and unacceptable. They underline the urgent need for a dental school in our region, with ringfenced places for students from the East of England, so we can train and retain the dentists our communities desperately need."

Dr Peter Prinsley, the MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, said families regularly raised concerns with him about access to NHS dental care.

He said although urgent dental appointments were important, they were only part of the picture.

According to the Government data, preventable tooth extractions were three times more likely to happen in children and young people living in the most deprived communities.

Dr Prinsley, who worked as an ear, nose and throat surgeon, stressed focusing on prevention was equally as important as fixing long-standing issues with access.

"During my time working as an ENT surgeon," he said, "it was not uncommon for me to see children admitted with serious neck abscesses caused by untreated dental infections."