Stephen Kinnock, the minister for care, described the lack of access to NHS dentistry as “completely and utterly shocking – truly Dickensian”.

During a debate in the House of Commons, Stephen was questioned about his assessment of the effectiveness of the NHS dental contracting framework.

The MP for Aberafan Maesteg said that he recognised that the problem “is massive”. Stephen added that since he took up the position, “the most common reason for children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital is tooth decay.”

He went on to reiterate the government’s commitment to reforming the dental contract and “working with the British Dental Association to focus on prevention and on the retention of NHS dentists.”

Work has already begun to ensure that “an additional 700,000 urgent dental appointments” are available for patients, Stephen explained.

South Yorkshire has been particularly affected by a lack of access to NHS dentistry. Lee Pitcher, the constituency’s MP, told the house that he had heard “horror stories” about patients in “horrendous pain” who had resorted to DIY treatments.

Lee acknowledged that “it will take time to rebuild dentistry” but urged the government to prioritise care for patients in his area.

“We will target interventions at the areas of greatest need”, pledged Stephen. He agreed with Lee that South Yorkshire would be one such area as it has the “highest level of hospital tooth extractions in England”.

Stephen added that Integrated Care Boards have started advertising roles through the ‘golden hello’ scheme. He said this “will drive recruitment of graduate dentists to areas of greatest need for three years.”

“We have inherited a mess, and we are working at pace to clear it up,” concluded Stephen.

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