Last week I was re-elected as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dentistry and I know from my email inbox how important access to NHS dentists is for everyone in Bolton South and Walkden.
We’ve even seen in the news, stories of people in so much pain and unable to cope, that they have resorted to DIY solutions including pulling their own teeth out – despite the health risks this brings.
The new Labour Government has inherited an NHS in crisis.
As we have seen, people are struggling to see their GP, seeing massive delays to surgeries and of course, can’t even register with a dentist without going private. In the current cost of living crisis, especially here in Bolton, there aren’t a lot of people who can afford to spend thousands of pounds on dental treatment.
Only 40 per cent of adults saw an NHS Dentist within the last 2 years, something which is frankly unacceptable. We need action across the board, to ensure that everyone has access to good oral health and dentistry when they need it.
That starts with good preventive measures, and Labour announced in its manifesto that there will be the introduction of supervised teeth brushing in primary schools for 3–5-year-olds to help prevent cases of children needing emergency dental intervention, both now and in later life.
The government is also pressing ahead with plans to provide 700,000 more NHS dental appointments, with Wes Streeting and Stephen Kinnock meeting with the British Dental Association immediately after taking office to start the process of resolving issues with the NHS Dentist contract which has been a barrier for more appointments.
In my role as chair of the APPG on Dentistry, I will continue to work closely with Ministers and the British Dental Association to ensure that we will be able to turn over a new page for NHS Dentistry, ensuring that the inequality of oral health will become a thing of the past. This isn’t just a crisis that can be solved in Bolton or Greater Manchester. This is a crisis that demands national action.
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