Proposed new dentists’ school at UEA welcome boost, but the Government needs to act now to stop the decay!

Steff, who represents Melton Constable and is the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for North Norfolk, said:

“I support training new dentists at UEA, but we also need action now. It takes five years of study and two further years of experience to train a fully qualified dentist. We need to attract and keep dentists today, with better NHS contracts and easier work permits for overseas dentists.”

Frightening figures recently revealed that almost a million children in the East of England haven’t seen an NHS dentist in a year. Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged between six and ten, adding even more strain on the already stretched health service.

“A new dentists’ school will help in the future, but what do the Conservatives who’ve overseen the decay in dentistry say to parents who can’t get an NHS appointment for themselves or their children today? Leaving it solely to future training to sort out this mess is a kick in the teeth for local people.”