Dog eats homework, overslept alarms and a case of the flu are what come to mind when thinking of reasons a child skips school.
But it turns out many parents – and teachers – might be be in the dark about a crucial health issue causing kids to take time off.
Scientists have revealed that tooth decay is seeing pupils lose hours of valuable lesson time. And the poorest children are the worst affected.
A study of over 260,000 Scottish children found that children with tooth decay missed on average five more half-days of school per year than those with healthy teeth.
A third of children – more than 85,000 – were suffering from poor oral health. Absences grew longer with worsening dental problems.
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Mariel Goulart, a dentist who led the research for Glasgow University, told Metro: ‘Missing school, even just half-days, can hurt a child’s learning.
‘This study shows that fixing tooth decay isn’t just about health, it’s about giving kids a fair chance in school, especially in deprived communities.’
The problem was revealed by researchers in Scotland, but they warn that it could be even worse in England.
The top stats about children missing school due to tooth decay
Children who needed emergency treatment for their teeth or had to have them removed under general anaesthetic lost more than three days of lessons.
Of the four to seven-year-olds being studied who had tooth decay, they missed on average 22 half days, or 11 full days at school.
Those without tooth decay missed only 15 half-days or seven full days.
When researchers adjusted these results to account for other factors, they found children with tooth decay missed on average five more half-days of school per year.
One in five children aged 5 in England suffers from tooth decay, and this new study indicates that 140,000 children in that age group alone could therefore be at risk of longer school absences.
The most concerning finding, however, was how children from poorer backgrounds could miss even more school due to dental hygiene.
Kids in the poorest areas missed nearly twice as many days compared to those in wealthier areas, researchers found.
Goulart said: ‘I honestly didn’t think it would be this much.
‘Child poverty is something that is really important for oral health and education outcomes are related to income levels.’
She explained: ‘What about the days when children were at school but in pain? Were they paying attention to the classroom? I don’t think so.’
As a result, the researcher is calling for free school meals to be rolled out more widely across the UK.
‘Free school meals should be available for every child, despite personal income,’ she said.
‘If you have a healthy meal, it is one time less a day that you eat sugar, biscuits or anything that’s harmful for your teeth.’
What is the current programme in England and Scotland?
Scotland
Scotland introduced a supervised toothbrushing programme, called Childsmile in nurseries and schools from 2008.
Childsmile offers supervised toothbrushing, fluoride varnish application and dietary advice to children in schools and dentists.
The latest National Dental Inspection Programme results show 73 per cent of Primary 1 children (reception in English education) have no obvious tooth decay compared with 58 percent in 2008, when Childsmile was introduced.
England
A similar toothbrushing programme was only rolled out in England in March 2025.
It aims to reach up to 600,000 children in most deprived areas.
Goulart told Metro the delay in introducing a toothbrushing scheme meant the number of children missing school due to dental issues could be higher in England than across the border.
What is the Government doing to help this?
The government’s new scheme aims to give 600,000 children in the most deprived areas access to supervised toothbrushing.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock said it is ‘shocking’ that a third of five-year-olds in the most deprived areas have experience of tooth decay.
Labour plans to reform the dental contract to get dentists to provide more NHS work include:
• Providing 23 million free toothbrushes and toothpastes to reach up to 600,000 children each year.
• Rolling out 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments for those who need treatment
A Scottish Government spokesperson praised the 15 percent improvement in dental hygiene since the introduction of Childsmile.
They told Metro: ‘Every child should be able to attend school feeling comfortable, confident, and ready to learn, and this research highlights the importance of oral improvement programmes in education settings.’
This article was originally published on 22 July 2025 and has been updated.
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