Dentists challenge parties to address failures on prevention

Tooth decay is an almost entirely preventable disease, but remains the number one cause of hospital admissions among young children in the UK.

Dentist leaders hit out at mismanagement of NHS dentistry under successive governments, contending that policymakers have made keeping patient numbers down their chief priority. In England’s cost-limited NHS system, budget is set aside to treat just over half of the population. Direct funding for dental services has fallen by £170m since 2010, with budget topped up by charge increases that discourage patients in need of care. 

As part of a six-point plan, the BDA has called on parties to follow the lead of devolved nations and deliver a truly national programme to tackle health inequalities. It has called for expansion of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, an end to the reliance on patient charges, sweeping reform of health regulation, and replacement of the failed NHS contract system geared around government targets with a model that rewards prevention and improved health outcomes.