Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the accessibility and affordability of dental treatment in England; and if he will make a statement.

The Department continues to work closely with the National Health Service to maximise the number of patients that can be seen safely, with NHS dentists now offering 65% of pre-pandemic levels of care. The NHS is targeting its available capacity at urgent care, vulnerable groups and children, followed by overdue routine care. There are a range of exemptions to patient charges and just under half of patients were treated free of charge in 2020/21.