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Dentists face a “tsunami” of untreated tooth decay because children have been kept away from dental surgeries during lockdown.

Half of parents in the UK said their children had missed a check-up since March, according to an Opinium survey for the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), which represents practices across the country.

The survey of 2,000 people included 622 parents, with 31% saying their family had decided not to go for a check-up or make an appointment. Another 13% said they had not been able to get an appointment – a sign of the growing problem of delays caused by the pandemic.

Dental practices were forced to shut after coronavirus hit, but have been allowed to reopen since 8 June.

Related: Children’s tooth decay costs NHS more than £40m a year in England

The ADG said the vast majority of