Dental Crisis in England Prompts Call for Government Action

Campaigners Demand Declaration of Dental Emergency

Dental health advocates have penned an open letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, urging the government to declare a dental emergency in England. The group, Toothless in England, is pushing for immediate action to address what they describe as a critical access crisis in dental care.

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While acknowledging Labour’s proposed dental rescue plan as a positive step, Toothless in England argues that more comprehensive measures are needed. The campaigners assert that the current proposals “do not go far enough” to tackle fundamental issues plaguing the dental care system, particularly in areas of basic oral care and restorative treatments.

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Alarming Consequences of Dental Care Shortage

The letter highlights the dire consequences of the ongoing dental crisis, noting “extreme yet increasingly common consequences” that have resulted in preventable deaths. Cases of untreated sepsis and undiagnosed mouth cancer are cited as particularly concerning outcomes of the current situation.

Mark Jones, a spokesperson for Toothless in England, stated, “We’re seeing children admitted to hospitals for tooth extractions due to decay, and cancer patients facing treatment delays because they can’t access necessary dental check-ups. This is unacceptable in a modern healthcare system.”

Proposed Solutions and Urgent Demands

The campaign group is calling for several immediate actions:

1. A government declaration of a dental emergency
2. Mandated access to emergency treatment at all dental practices
3. Implementation of a priority pathway for hospital referrals
4. Deployment of mobile dental clinics to reach vulnerable patients and underserved areas

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Scale of the Crisis

The British Dental Association reports that the unmet need for NHS dentistry in England has reached a staggering 13 million people, an all-time high. This figure underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for swift, decisive action.

Labour’s Current Commitments

In response to the crisis, the Labour Party has outlined several initiatives:

• Provision of 700,000 additional urgent and emergency dental appointments
• Introduction of “golden hellos” to attract new dentistry graduates to underserved areas
• Reform of the 2006 NHS dental contract, which has been blamed for driving dentists away from NHS practice

Call for Follow-Through on Promises

Toothless in England representatives met with Mr Streeting earlier this year to discuss patients’ needs. The group is now calling on the Health Secretary to honour his commitment to “follow up” on these discussions and take concrete steps to address the dental care crisis.

As the situation continues to unfold, all eyes are on the government’s response to this urgent call for action in the face of what many are calling a national dental emergency.