Dental decay is the main cause of hospital admission for children between five and nine, the Local Government Association says, with 26,000 children in this age group admitted in 2013-14.
An analysis of NHS figures by the LGA shows that there has been a huge rise in the number of under-18s having operations to remove teeth in hospital, at a cost of £35m in 2014/15, compared with £21m in 2010/11.
Councils want the Government to include tough measures to tackle children’s consumption of sugar in the forthcoming childhood obesity strategy, because they believe that excessive consumption of fizzy drinks and foods high in sugar are the major reason for the increase.
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