Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider requiring supervised trainee dentists, while on placement at dental training schools, to work on exclusively on NHS waiting lists rather than private appointments, to help reduce the backlog.

Every undergraduate dental student gains clinical experience in the course of their studies under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.

Clinical placements provide dental students with the opportunity to develop a range of skills, including clinical abilities and effective communication with both patients and colleagues. The patients receiving treatment should never be charged for the care they receive.

These placements are designed to provide students with exposure to a range of clinical environments, rather than to enhance overall National Health Service delivery.