Yesterday (26 January), the Government announced an additional £50 million to give urgently more people access to high quality dental care. This includes £7.31 million for NHS dentistry in the North West. 

Throughout the pandemic, dentists have rightly prioritised the safety of their patients and staff, including by introducing infection control measures to reduce the risk of infection from aerosols commonly generated by dental procedures. Although necessary, these measures restricted the number of dentistry appointments that the NHS has been able to offer. 

Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated NHS dental teams, the levels of urgent dental treatment recovered to pre-pandemic levels in December 2020. 

Some individuals still require urgent treatment, however, which is why the NHS has announced that an extra £50 million is being made available to dental practices. The funding will secure up to 350,000 additional dental appointments.

This funding will be targeted at those most in need of urgent dental treatment. 

Children will be prioritised, as will people with learning disabilities, autism, or severe mental health problems. 

Robert Largan, MP for High Peak, commented: 

“I know that many residents across the High Peak have faced difficulties accessing NHS dentistry. Part of the problem is the recruitment of dentists, and I have raised this issue directly with ministers.

“I want to take the opportunity to thank dentists who worked hard throughout the pandemic. 

“I warmly welcome this extra funding, which will help local patients get access to the dental treatment they need.”