Access to dentistry

That this House is deeply concerned by the growing crisis in NHS dentistry, particularly in rural constituencies such as West Dorset, where just 15 dental practices offer any form of NHS care to a population of 94,000, equating to more than 2,300 residents per dentist; notes that only 36% of adults and just 50% of children in West Dorset have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, contributing to thousands of avoidable A&E visits due to dental decay, including 3,000 children nationally every year; recognises that the current NHS dental contract is not fit for purpose, leaving patients forced to pay privately or go without care altogether; welcomes the Government’s commitment to deliver 700,000 additional appointments, but stresses that this must be accompanied by immediate, practical support for Integrated Care Boards, such as NHS Dorset, to address local need now; highlights the case of a pensioner in Sherborne who, unable to access NHS dental care, has had to extract his own teeth; notes the British Dental Association's findings that 96% of practices in England are not accepting new NHS patients and that 1 in 5 people who cannot access care are resorting to DIY dentistry; further notes that the South West has the highest rate of dental-related A&E attendances and the highest dental vacancy rate in the country at 22%; and calls on the Government to deliver both long-term reform and immediate action to restore access to NHS dentistry, especially in rural and underserved areas.