City dental crisis dubbed 'shocking'

NEW DENTAL TASK FORCE IS LAUNCHED

- CARL EVE

AS the number of people being left waiting for an NHS dentist grows even larger - some in agony and taking matters into their own hands - council chiefs have launched a 'Dental Task Force' to try and deal with the problem.

Over the past few years The Herald has reported on the growing crisis in the city - and beyond which has seen numerous people taken off their local dentist's roster, with even Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer admitting that he too was "booted out" by his NHS dentist.

In January 2018, it was revealed that more than 9,000 were waiting for an NHS dentist in Plymouth, including 1,677 children and young people under the age of 18.

Nothing had improved over the following two years and by January 2020 The Herald highlighted the city's dentist crisis with Rob Witton, director of community based dentistry for the Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth, saying the situation was "shocking", adding "we have a particular problem in this city".

Councillors were being told that figures from a 2009 survey of fiveyear-olds showed half of children had tooth decay in the most deprived areas in the west, south and centre of the city, while in Plympton and Plymstock it was one in ten.