Children in Northern Ireland needed to have teeth removed in hospital more than 21,000 times over a three year period, figures have revealed.

The data from the Department of Health shows that between 2005 and 2008 there were 21,502 dental extractions carried out on under-16s in hospitals across the province.

A spokesman for the department said plans were under way to tackle the problem, but the news has prompted calls for parents to ensure their children enjoy a healthy diet.

“These figures appear quite high. It is alarming that so many children are having to go to hospital to have teeth extracted,” said Alliance Party health spokesman Kieran McCarthy.

“Preventative measures would probably save our health service a considerable amount of money.

“I would appeal to all parents to ensure their children know how to look after their teeth properly. We often hear about how common obesity is — these statistics give parents yet another reason to ensure that their children have a sensible diet.”

Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has already begun developing plans for a bespoke dental contract for Northern Ireland with the British Dental Association. “Negotiations have been ongoing since November 2006 and we hope to pilot this contract later this year,” said a Department of Health spokesman.

“This new contract will have a strong emphasis on preventive care, which is very important as we need to improve the oral health of our population, especially among young children.”

Despite the warnings, the Northern Ireland figures have shown a drop in cases, from 7,619 in 2005/06 to 6,784 in 2007/08.

Yesterday, it was revealed that up to 30,000 children each year around the UK are admitted to hospital for tooth decay and extraction.

A study published in the British Dental Journal found there were 517,885 individual courses of dental treatment in NHS hospitals for children up to the age of 17 between 1997 and 2006.