Midsomer Norton MP Anna Sabine convened a Parliamentary debate surrounding the ‘failure to invest’ in dentistry across Somerset.

Speaking in Westminster Hall, Ms Sabine (Liberal Democrat, Frome and East Somerset) spoke of how Somerset is “particularly neglected” when it comes to accessing dental treatment. to dentists

She also stated how the wider South West region is suffering “the worst access problems of all regions in England” according to the latest ONS data.

With only 32 per cent of adults seeing an NHS dentist in the two years up to June 2024, Somerset has a much lower average than the national average of 40 per cent. Children sit well below the national average of 55 per cent at only 42 per cent - a figure which dropped since pre-Covid.

The data shows that one in five children in Somerset have tooth decay by the time they are 5, and the numbers have seriously deteriorated in recent years.

Mrs Sabine said while opening the debate: “It’s symptomatic of the lack of investment in the region, not only in health and social care, but withdrawn Levelling Up Funding for the area.

“I am concerned that not enough is happening fast enough. The Health Secretary made a point of meeting the British Dental Association on his first day in office, but the BDA tell me that there has been little follow up.”

Asking the Minister whether the Government has yet entered into formal negotiations to reform the dental contract, Mrs Sabine spoke of the breadth of pressure poor oral care puts on the rest of the NHS. While the Government has committed to a roll out of 700,000 extra urgent care appointments in April, this is less than a third than what is needed, the MP states.

A neglect of primary care in dentistry leads to an “avalanche of need” for urgent care and hospitals are struggling to provide either the urgent appointments and the aftercare that many require. Mrs Sabine said one of her constituents who needed supplementary dental care after a fall remains waiting and another, who is unable to afford private care, needs to call 111 for urgent tooth removal, one at a time.

Mrs Sabine added: “A failure to invest in dentistry now not only causes more and more pain but also gets more and more expensive and adds pressure onto the NHS in the long term.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for proper investment in dental services and the ring fencing of the necessary funding to allow NHS dentistry to prevail long term.

“NHS dental practices must be offered relief from the NICs rise”, the MP added.

Urging the Minister to take action now to invest in the training and retention of NHS dentists, Mrs Sabine said parents and families need support in accessing dentistry, insisting “we cannot let Somerset slip further and further down the national average, which is already a low bar, and create more pain, misery and costs for generations to come”