Introduction

The British Dental Association has launched its manifesto for UK dentistry. It is urging prospective parliamentary candidates to make dentistry a priority during the general election campaign.

The Association reiterates its call for greater investment in dental services as access remains a problem in most areas of the UK and it also wants to see access problems tackled with a significant increase in training places for would-be dentists.

There are six key points of the BDA's manifesto which include introducing NHS dentistry reforms that work, give dentistry its fair share of increased NHS spending, train more dentists, tackle access problems, support preventive care for patients and support family dentists.

It also wants Governement to recognise the value of the mixed economy for patient choice, develop the dental team and safeguard patients.

The manifesto lends its support to the campaign to make school vending machines include healthier options and calls for water coolers, rather than fizzy drinks, to be made more readily available in schools.

It repeats the BDA's support for targeted water fluoridation schemes as a way of significantly reducing dental health inequalities.

There are four manifestos – one each for England, Scotland, Wales (including a Welsh language version) and Northern Ireland. For more information visit www.bda.org