Lamb: 175,000 tooth extractions under general anaesthetic

10.15.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Apr 2009

Over 175,000 people had teeth extracted under general anaesthetic last year, up by 40,000 in four years, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The figures, revealed in answer to a Parliamentary Question, show that: 175,447 people had teeth extracted under general anaesthetic between 2007-8 44,287 were children aged 6-18 14,246 were children under 5 years old

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said:

"This extraordinary number of people needing their teeth extracted under general anaesthetic could well be the result of the appalling access to NHS dentistry.

"The dental contract was supposedly designed to improve the situation, but the staggering rise in tooth extractions proves the massive failures of this botched initiative.

"The crisis in NHS dentistry is one of this Government's most shameful legacies."