MP calls for urgent action to end ‘dental deserts’

North Devon MP Ian Roome has called for urgent measures to end 'dental deserts', following new data showing that tens of thousands of children in the county are missing out on essential NHS dental care. 

Mr Roome criticised the Conservative Party's handling of local health services, calling the figures a ‘damning indictment’ of their legacy.

Research from the House of Commons Library revealed that 78,610 children in Devon were not seen by an NHS dentist in the year leading up to March 2024, meaning 53.36 per cent of the county’s children missed crucial dental appointments. 

This is despite NHS guidelines recommending that under-18s see a dentist annually to prevent tooth decay, which remains the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 6-10.

Mr Roome, a Liberal Democrat, stressed the importance of fixing local health services.

“I have heard countless stories of desperate parents who cannot find an NHS dentist anywhere in Devon. Everyone knows how important it is for children to be able to see a dentist when they need to be in our area, far too often that is proving impossible.

“The Conservative party’s disastrous legacy on the NHS cannot be understated. The new government must make fixing local health services like dentistry here in North Devon a top priority after the Conservatives ran them into the ground.

“The only way we will rescue dentistry in our area is by the government investing in local health services at the Budget and bringing an end to dental deserts so that every child in North Devon can see a dentist when they need to.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency rescue plan, which includes utilising unspent NHS funding to boost appointment availability and removing VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste. 

The party hopes that the government will address this issue in the upcoming budget, ensuring that children across the county have access to the dental care they need.