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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

Thousands of children in England facing ‘heartbreaking’ waits for NHS dental care

NHS England NHSBSA NHSE
A dentist examining a child's teeth
Data obtained under FoI laws show children in some parts of England are waiting up to 18 months for tooth extractions, with some having waited several years. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

Thousands of children in England are experiencing “heartbreaking” long waits for NHS dental care, with some waiting “in agony” for years to have teeth extracted, according to shocking new figures.

Health leaders and MPs warned of a “perfect storm” in which children are struggling to access dentists to nip minor issues “in the bud”, and then facing horrific waiting times for operations to fix problems that have spiralled out of control.

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