Ian Liddell-Grainger MP has criticised a further rise in dental charges, warning it will mean more people putting off having vital treatment.
The Bridgwater and West Somerset MP says the government must stop making token gestures in support of the NHS dentistry service and find the £1.5 billion necessary to restore provision at least to 2010 levels, and halt the exodus of dentists.
Ministers have announced a further 8.3 per cent hike in the cost of dental treatment from April 24, 2023. It will mean patients in England will have to pay £100 more than those in Wales for treatment such as crowns and bridges.
Dentists themselves fear it will only lead to more postponed dental visits: statistics show a quarter of all registered patients have already put off visiting the dentist because they couldn’t afford the treatment.
Ian said it was obvious that after years of under-investment, the state dental service was hanging by a thread.
He said, “Dentists are quitting by the dozen because they are hopelessly overworked and at the same time increased charges such as these are putting access to regular dental care beyond the stretched budgets of millions of people.
“The so-called support package for dentistry the government launched last November is utterly inadequate to resolve either situation. The government has to get serious, to stop treating dentistry like some afterthought and to recognise the importance of maintaining good dental health.”
Ian said regular visits to the dental surgery also allowed for early detection of more serious conditions such as oral cancers.
Ian added, “The government must accept that with an ageing population more people are going to require dental treatment for longer and that the cost to the state of providing it will inevitably go up.
“Instead of making it too expensive for the elderly to get their teeth checked we should be looking at, if not free dental care, then at least concessionary charges for pensioners so they can be assured that their dental health will be monitored without having the worry of how they are going to be able to afford it.”