Official figures show that tooth decay is the third most common reason children are admitted to the hospital. Around 37,000 cavity-filled kids are taken each year, up 13% from five years ago.
Tories blame the lack of National Health Service (NHS) dentists for the spike.
"Dentists are leaving the NHS in droves as they make more money privately," said Dr Nick Goodwin of The King’s Fund health think-tank.
Tories can blame the lack of dentists all they want, but that's not the problem. The real issue is why are dentists leaving in the first place. The answer, of course, is simple: Brits think they'll never need a dentist. Ever. There's such little demand for them that they have no reason for sticking around.
In fact, the average 16-year-old Brit has teeth of a 97-year-old American.