Labour pledges extra 100,000 children's dental appointments

Labour has promised an extra 100,000 dental appointments for children as part of its Child Health Action Plan.

(c) Quang Tri Ngueyn/Unsplash

(c) Quang Tri Ngueyn/Unsplash

The £109m plan also includes a pledge to offer supervised toothbrushing for three to five year olds.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘What a tragic indictment on the state of NHS dentistry under the Conservatives, that children are ashamed to speak because of the state of their teeth.

‘Labour will provide an extra 100,000 appointments for children a year and supervised toothbrushing for three to five year olds, to put a smile back on kids' faces.'

Labour said 540,000 fewer children saw an NHS dentist in the 2022-23 financial year compared with the year ending 31 December 2018.

There were almost 48,000 tooth extractions in NHS hospitals for 0 to 19 year olds in the 2022-23 financial year with decay related extractions up by 17%.

Tooth decay was still the most common reason for hospital admission in children aged between 5 and 9 years old.

Tooth extractions for 0 to 19 year olds cost the NHS £64.3m in 2022-23, which was down on the previous year due to a decrease in unit costs for procedures.

Andrew Stephenson, minister of state for health said: ‘Labour's dentistry promise is part of their £38.5bn blackhole which will lead to £2,094 in higher taxes for families.

‘If Labour had a plan for dentistry they would be doing it in Wales – but the truth is 93% of NHS dental practices in Labour-run Wales are not even accepting patients.

‘Only the Conservative have a clear plan to support dentists and cut waiting lists including delivering 2.5m additional NHS dentistry appointments, taking bold action to ensure we have the dentists for the future and that patients receive the best care.'

 

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