Boost dental training places says Plymouth MPs

Plymouth’s MPs have joined forces across party lines to call for a significant increase in dental training places in the city, amid growing concern over access to NHS dentistry and poor oral health outcomes.
Luke Pollard MP (Labour, Plymouth Sutton & Devonport), Fred Thomas MP (Labour, Plymouth Moor View), and Rebecca Smith MP (Conservative, South West Devon) raised the issue during a cross-party meeting with Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care. The discussion focused on the urgent challenges facing dentistry in Plymouth and the wider South West.
The MPs are calling for a 25 per cent uplift in dental training places at the University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School, which would increase annual student intake from 58 to 72 by funding an additional 14 undergraduate places.
During the meeting, the scale of the local dental crisis was highlighted, with thousands of residents remaining on waiting lists and child oral health outcomes among the worst in the country. The group also discussed the work of the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE), which provides thousands of NHS dental appointments each year and delivers outreach services to vulnerable groups across the city.
The Peninsula Dental School is set to open a new £5 million city centre facility in the near future. The development, part of a wider health village in the city centre, is intended to expand urgent dental care provision while training the next generation of dentists.
Luke Pollard MP said:
“The dental crisis in Plymouth is not new. It has got worse over the last decade and that’s why we need bold decisions. I’m proud of the progress we are making with a new dental hub in the city centre and a cross-party dental taskforce led by the council. But there isn’t a solution to the dental crisis we face that doesn’t include training more dentists. I want to see more dentists trained in the south west and stay in the South West working in NHS practices.”
Fred Thomas MP commented:
“Since being elected, I’ve consistently heard from folk in Plymouth who are struggling to see a dentist. Provision in the South West has been inadequate for far too long, and it’s damaging people’s health. That’s why I’m working closely with neighbouring MPs and the government to push for more dentists to train right here at Peninsula Dental School. Boosting local training places will strengthen our workforce and deliver better, more accessible care for our communities. I’ll keep fighting until everyone in Plymouth can get the dental care they deserve.”
Rebecca Smith MP added:
"I am pleased we have cross-party agreement on the need to work to dramatically improve our local dental offer. Oral health in and around Plymouth is a serious concern, and part of improving this is ensuring we train more local people to become dentists and enable them to stay and provide dental care for local residents. I am optimistic that, with sustained pressure, we can make real progress."
Nationally, the total number of dental training places has been capped at 809 since 2007. The government is currently considering lifting this cap and allocating additional places as part of wider efforts to improve NHS dentistry.
Measures outlined in the Government’s NHS 10-year plan, published in July 2025, include commitments to improve access to NHS dentistry, tackle poor child oral health, and increase the number of NHS dentists by making the dental contract more attractive and introducing tie-ins for those trained through the NHS system.