Oral Health and Dentistry: England

Alex Norris highlighted the challenges faced by dentistry during the pandemic, including contract reform and financial issues. He noted that two in three adults have visible plaque, almost one in three have tooth decay, and over 8,300 new cases of mouth cancer are reported annually. Norris expressed disappointment with the Government's lack of data on how many practices met the activity targets and their failure to negotiate a workable deal with dentists, leading to significant anxiety among dental professionals.

Mr Seely highlighted the challenges Islanders face in accessing NHS dentists, noting difficulties such as lack of availability and inconvenience caused by having to travel to the mainland. He cited Healthwatch England's report that 70% of people find it difficult to access an NHS dentist, with 85% of dental practices closed to new patients. Mr Seely expressed concern about long-term health issues due to insufficient dental care, including potential increases in cancer cases and heart disease. He also mentioned workforce challenges such as dentists leaving the NHS for private practice and a shortage of newly qualified dentists.

He stated that the chronic underfunding of NHS England dental services has led to a situation where many constituents face insurmountable barriers in accessing basic healthcare, with extreme delays and prohibitive treatment costs. He highlighted specific cases of delayed or cancelled appointments and unaffordable private treatments. Healthwatch England reported four in five people struggling to access timely care, with 61% finding treatment too expensive. The British Dental Association noted that NHS general dental practice is operating on a lower budget than in 2010, leading to more dentists planning to stop providing NHS services or retiring early.

Ms Anderson highlighted the ongoing crisis in UK dentistry, citing a survey indicating that nearly half of dentists are considering career changes or early retirement due to the pandemic. She noted a 1,253 decrease in practices providing NHS dentistry and an 85% closure rate for new NHS patients, affecting lower-income individuals most severely. Anderson urged the Government to act on prevention measures, improve recruitment from overseas dental schools, and address funding disparities between England and Wales.

Ms Cummins discussed the urgent need for reform in NHS dentistry, highlighting issues such as chronic underfunding and the failure of the dental contract. She mentioned that 30 million NHS dental appointments have been lost since the start of the pandemic and warned of an impending exodus of dentists due to extreme pressures from unrealistic activity targets.

Mr Mishra thanked dentists and staff for their work during the pandemic, noting a significant rise in dental calls and complaints. He highlighted that some people had to wait up to three years for an appointment, with 22% of Stockport's under-five-year-olds experiencing tooth decay. In one year, 300 children in Stockport underwent tooth extraction under general anaesthesia due to decay. Mr Mishra called for meaningful dental contract reform to expand access to NHS dentists and prioritise preventive measures like supervised brushing programmes.

Mr Beresford, a practising dentist, highlighted the improvements in dental services' status and the impact of COVID-19 on waiting lists. He mentioned 23,529 children aged five to nine admitted to hospital due to tooth decay pre-pandemic and advocated for water fluoridation as a preventive measure.

Describes the dental crisis in York, highlighting that constituents face long waits for NHS treatment and are turning to accident and emergency services. Criticizes the current NHS dental contract as unethical and highlights a need for a national dental service under NHS terms.