North Devon and Torridge district councils have committed to helping dental provision in the region following a special meeting.

A joint meeting of North Devon Council's policy development committee and Torridge District Council's external overview and scrutiny committee was held in July 2024, in which a panel of dental professionals explained the challenges facing the dental sector across the region and nationwide, as well as answering questions from the committee and the public.

The two committees separately reconvened after the meeting and identified a range of steps to action improvements locally, from working with education providers to establish links to dentistry qualifications to promoting oral health.

The councils have launched a joint local plan and economic strategy to reflect the the need for improvements to dental provision.

John Patrinos, a councillor and vice-chair of North Devon Council's Policy Development Committee, said, "As councillors, we have been inundated with complaints from residents about access to dentists and orthodontists in the area and have heard concerning stories of people of all ages foregoing treatment or travelling across the country to see dentists in areas they previously lived.

"Following a productive joint meeting in which we were able to improve our understanding of the situation, our councils are committed to doing what we can to help mitigate and improve on these issues, working with the relevant health and education bodies wherever possible to achieve it."

Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, a councillor and chair of Torridge District Council's External Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said, “It is well documented that the sustained lack of dental provision across Torridge and North Devon has led to a critical reduction in health outcomes. As councillors, we are extremely concerned about the lack of NHS dentists and the massive impact it has on the community – especially when we hear horror stories of people resorting to DIY dentistry and the potential problems it is storing up for the future.

"I hope that following this meeting, we can all work together to develop a strategy to improve the situation. As a council, we are fully supportive and committed to doing what we can to make this happen and bring more dental provision into our area.”

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