A Gap in Dorset Dentistry

One of the most common issues raised at my constituency surgeries and correspondence from residents is the struggle to find an NHS dentist. In my 2025 Health Survey, access to dentistry was one of the top concerns for residents.

When I was a child, regular NHS dental check-ups were simply part of family life and children’s teeth were in better condition than their parents. Today, that is no longer the reality. Only half of Dorset's children have seen an NHS dentist in the last year, and tooth decay remains a leading cause of young children being admitted to hospital.

The reason is that there are fewer NHS dentists serving a growing population, while many are leaving the service because the NHS contract relies on private work effectively subsidising NHS treatment. I recently met with the British Dental Association to press for solutions, and they confirmed that 44 dentists have handed back NHS contracts in Dorset since 2020. Yet no new NHS dental contracts have been awarded to replace them. In some parts of the county there is not a single NHS dental practice.

At the heart of the crisis is the way NHS dentistry is funded. Dental practices are independent businesses. They directly fund their premises, staff and business costs and are then paid by the NHS through a contract system based on Units of Dental Activity. The problem is that many treatments are funded at levels that simply do not reflect the true cost of providing care, particularly with increasing costs in areas like energy, imported supplies and staff.

As a result, many dentists are reducing their NHS commitments or leaving altogether. Unless the contract is fundamentally reformed, the gaps in service will become so big that the system will completely crumble.

Liberal Democrats have long called for the failed dental contract to be replaced with one that rewards prevention and patient care rather than targets, alongside urgent action to rebuild access to NHS dentistry.

The Labour Government has recognised some of these problems that have worsened over the last decade and made limited improvements. But the promised consultation on contract reform keeps being delayed and I will be writing to the new Minister to urge them to deliver this before the end of 2026.

Many people do not realise that urgent dental treatment can be accessed through NHS 111, with appointments available across Dorset for emergencies such as abscesses, infections and broken teeth. Too often, these emergency appointments go unfilled because people do not know to call. The result is that appointments go unused while residents struggle to access care, contributing to money allocated for dentistry going unspent.

Over the last two years, £17 million of Dorset's dental budget has either been returned or reallocated to other services. I have repeatedly challenged this in Parliament because local people rightly expect money allocated to dentistry to be spent on dental services.

That is why I have launched a petition and am pressing both the Government and NHS Dorset to ensure dental funding is spent on dental services and the contract is properly reformed.

You can sign it by clicking here and help me put pressure on both the Government and NHS Dorset to fix NHS dentistry.