Introduction

Chief Dental Officer Barry Cockcroft has pledged that everyone who wants an NHS dentist will get one. On a visit to Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth last month, Dr Cockcroft said that while he could not specify a date, 'all the basics were in place' to deliver a full NHS dental service to anyone who needs it.

'All the things that were missing previously – the dental workforce, the money, are now there, and the extra 11 per cent funding we are putting in from April,' he said.

'It will take longer in some areas than others but certainly all the basics are there now to deliver a really functioning fully comprehensive NHS dental service for anybody who needs it.'

Peninsula Dental School, which received its first 64 students in September, offers a four-year, graduate only course with a strong emphasis on teaching in the community.

Commenting on his visit, Dr Cockroft said: 'Having met members of the first cohort of students, I am heartened that we are encouraging the right people to the profession, to ensure that we produce the best calibre, home grown dentists for the future.'

Dr Cockroft (left) is pictured with student Nicholas Leakey, Deputy Chief Dental Officer Tony Jenner, and Liz Kay, Dean of Peninsula Dental School.

Giving evidence to the Health Select Committee's inquiry into dental services this month (March), Teresa Perchard, policy director of the Citizens Advice Bureau, said the South West and North West regions of England were 'dental deserts' where access was particularly poor. Extra investment should be targeted on these regions, she said.