Taskforce sets out plan to tackle dental crisis

TOOTH decay in children is rife as only one NHS dentist in Plymouth is accepting new child patients, an MP has warned.

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Luke Pollard says many children are “suffering toothache through school,” after a new government study found that one in eight Year 6 students in the South West had experience of tooth decay.

The Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View has criticised ministers for failing to address the NHS dentistry crisis in Plymouth, as further analysis revealed only one dental practice in the city has confirmed they are accepting new child patients.

His comments follow the establishment of a new cross-party Dental Taskforce set up to address the crisis which has left approximately 22,000 Plymouth patients on the waiting list for an NHS dentist.

The taskforce, which includes representatives of Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon, Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE), Livewell Southwest and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, as well as the city’s three MPs, has set out three key priorities to improve NHS dental provision for people in Plymouth.