Over 5 million children not seen by an NHS dentist in the past year as Lib Demspledge to end dental deserts

EMBARGO: 22.30 Monday 16th September

• The Lib Dems call for an emergency scheme to guarantee access to free NHS free check-ups for children and to end dental deserts

• 5.35 million children have not be seen by an NHS dentist in the last 12 months

• Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper says “It’s a scandal that, across the country, millions of children are going without basic dental care”

More than 5.35 million children in England have not been seen by an NHS dentist for at least a year, House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. 

The research estimates the number of children who weren’t seen by an NHS dentist in the year to March 2024, based on the latest data from the NHS. It showed that a staggering 5.35 million children were not seen by an NHS dentist last year.

This includes nearly 1 million children in the South East of England alone, meaning almost half of all children in the region have not seen a dentist in the past 12 months. This is a trend across the country, with 44.6% of children not seeing a dentist in the last year.

In Hackney, 62.3% of children had not seen an NHS dentist in the past year, nearly two in three, more than anywhere else in the country. Other areas with the highest rate of children not seeing NHS dentists in the past year include Herefordshire (61.7%), Portsmouth (59.3%) and Thurrock (58.54%).

The NHS recommends that under-18s see a dentist at least once a year because their teeth can decay faster than adults, who are advised to see dentists once every two years. Tooth decay is also the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 6-10.

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to offer more NHS dentist appointments and deliver free check-ups for children to combat the growing crisis in NHS dentistry. The Liberal Democrats are also calling for reform of the NHS dental contract to bring private dentists back into the NHS to create more appointments and for the removal of VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

“It’s a scandal that, across the country, millions of children are going without basic dental care.

“The previous Conservative government mismanaged NHS dentistry so badly that they presided over under-spends in the dentistry budget whilst children’s teeth were left to rot.

“This appalling situation cannot go on. We Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency registration scheme so that children who are eligible for free check-ups can actually access them, and for reform of the broken dental contract to bring more dentists back to the NHS and end the scandal of dental deserts.

“The new government cannot waste any time in gripping this emergency and rescuing NHS dentistry to ensure our children get the care they deserve.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The research from the House of Commons Library can be found here.

Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 6-10, see here.