DATA from the House of Commons has shown that nearly half of children in West Berkshire were unable to see a dentist last year.
The Liberal Democrats have shared statistics from the House of Commons Library which show that more than 17,000 children in the area missed out on vital dental care.
The NHS recommends that children see a dentist annually due to their increased risk of tooth decay, which progresses more quickly in under 18s.
Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admissions in those aged 6-10.
As a result, Newbury’s MP, Lee Dillon, of the Liberal Democrats, has called for an “emergency rescue plan” for NHS dentistry.
He said: “It’s simply unacceptable that so many children in our area can’t access the dental care they need,” Dillon said.
““I’ve spoken to many parents in Newbury who are desperate, unable to find an NHS dentist for their children.
“Our local health services have been run into the ground, and it’s our children who are paying the price.”
“The government must prioritise local health services in the upcoming budget.
We need real investment to tackle these so-called ‘dental deserts’ and ensure that every child in West Berkshire can access essential dental care.”
While the previous government announced in April that 500 more dentists would be taking NHS patients in England, only four of them in Reading.
These included MyDentist, The Meadway; InspireDental, in central Reading; Vesta Dental Care, also in Central Reading; and Loddon Bridge Dentist in Woodley.
However Healthwatch Reading reports that as of July this year, no dentists were accepting new NHS patients in Reading.
Further statistics from the House of Commons show that real-terms funding for dental services have fallen by nearly 20% since 2010/2011, accounting for inflation, from £3.56 billion to £2.9 billion in 2022/2023.
According to NHS England, in June 2023 only 40.7% of adults had seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, which is the maximum recommended interval.
This is around a fifth lower than the proportion in September 2019 (50.9%), before the Coronavirus pandemic.
