Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase local provision and equitable access to NHS dental care.

Overall access to National Health Service dentistry continues to increase. 22.2 million adults were seen by a dentist in the 24 month period ending 31 March 2017 and 6.8 million children in the 12 month period ending 31 March 2017. This represents 58,500 more adults and 47,400 more children than the previous quarter.

NHS England is responsible for commissioning NHS dental services and has a legal duty to commission primary care dental services to meet local needs. Whilst access has increased nationally we know there are areas where there is still further to go in ensuring that all those who want to access NHS dentistry can do so.

New ways of providing care are being trialled to reform the current dental contract to further improve oral health and increase access, by preventing as well as treating disease, so freeing up resources. Alongside this a new programme, the Starting Well Programme, is being developed to work in 13 high needs areas to improve the oral health of children under the age of five who would not normally be regular dental attenders.