Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the capacity is for the (a) number and (b) proportion of children in England that can be registered for NHS dentistry; and if he will make a statement.

State funded healthcare provided by the National Health Service in England, including dentistry, is available free of charge to all children who are ordinarily resident in England and under the age of 18 years old or under 19 years old and in full-time education.

Unlike general practitioners' patients, dental patients are not registered to a particular practice. A dental practice can accept a patient for a course of treatment if they have capacity to deliver that treatment. There are no geographical restrictions on which dental practice a patient may attend, allowing patients the choice of where they receive treatment.

Where a person is unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through a local NHS dental practice for their child, they are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.