The state of dentistry in this country is a genuine concern.  Anyone who has experienced it will know all too well that dental pain can be a beyond excruciating experience.

And it is no minor matter.  People trying and failing to get an appointment can risk serious health complications and even attempts at DIY dentistry, which clearly needs to be avoided at all costs.

After 14 years of Tory neglect, NHS dentistry is facing a widespread crisis and is “at its most perilous point in its 75-year history”, according to the Nuffield Trust.

Many dentists are reducing their NHS commitment or leaving the NHS altogether and the consequences for patients are bleak.

Labour analysis has found that more than half of dental surgeries in England aren’t accepting any new patients.  In some areas, 99% of practices are taking on no new NHS patients.

And it’s similar here. In Crawley, 15 of the dental surgeries who have provided a recent update,  13 are not currently accepting any new adult patients.  That is an appalling situation.

Having overseen the managed decline of NHS dentistry for the past 14 years, now this Tory government is looking at only providing NHS dentistry to children and the most vulnerable, with those who can afford it going private and those who can’t left with a poor service for poor people.  It’s already happening in parts of Cornwall.

There is an alternative. Labour has a plan to rescue NHS dentistry from this crisis and get patients seen on time again.

These proposals would create 700,000 more urgent dentistry appointments, incentives to recruit dentists to the areas most in need and reform of the NHS dental contract so everyone who needs a dentist can get one.

Labour will pay for it by abolishing the non-dom tax status, because people who live and work in Britain should pay their taxes here too.

The Conservatives think that people should be happy with the poor service we have today.

Another five years of the Conservatives will see NHS dentistry gone for good.

Cllr Michael Jones

Leader, Crawley Borough Council