The next generation: Children and the dentist

Figures, released in The Sunday Times this weekend, show that the number one reason for primary-school-aged children being admitted to hospital is to have multiple teeth taken out.

Provisional figures for the period 2013-14 show that 25,812 children from that age group have been admitted to hospital to have multiple tooth extractions, up from 22,574 three years previously.

Kathryn Harley, former dean of the faculty of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: "We have children who require all 20 of their baby teeth to be extracted. It beggars belief that their diets could produce such a drastic effect."

Principal dentist and owner of The Exeter Dental Centre, Mike Hesketh, said: "We were a little taken aback at these survey results and even more shocked that less than half of all children visit the dentist regularly.

"We are all about preventative care at The Exeter Dental Centre and we recommend that children are seen by their dentist at least once a year. The check up for children is completely painless and only takes a few minutes. It is important that children get into good habits about brushing and visiting the dentist early to avoid unnecessary treatment in the future.

"The NHS recommends that children see a dentist from as young as possible - and at least once by the time they are two-years-old. We take the teeth of the next generation very seriously, and as such we offer a prevention-based approach, educating children on how to care for their mouths."