There were hundreds of hospital admissions in Northumberland to remove children's decaying teeth last year, new figures show.
It comes as the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the state of children's oral health is "nothing short of egregious".
Figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities show there were an estimated 570 total hospital admissions in Northumberland for children's tooth extraction in the year to March 2023.
Of these, about 465 were extractions for tooth decay.
The numbers are rounded to the nearest five.
Overall, the rate of tooth extractions in Northumberland was 885 per 100,000 children – above the national rate of 360 per 100,000.
David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: "Untreated dental care remains one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children and young people’s ability to speak, eat, play and socialise."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Access to dentistry is improving, and last year around 800,000 more children saw an NHS dentist."
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