Earl Howe has been confirmed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for dentistry. He has been the Conservative shadow health spokesperson in the House of Lords since 1997 and has previously served in Government as a Junior Minister, first at the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, then at the Ministry of Defence.

Prior to the election, the Conservatives pledged to 'reverse the long, slow death of NHS dentistry.' Their manifesto outlined that they would introduce a new contract, tie newly-qualified dentists into the NHS for five years, and allow dentists to fine people for missed appointments. They stated that these changes would give one million more people access to an NHS dentist and allow every five-year-old a dental check-up.

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to pilot and evaluate the recommendations of the Steele Review, commit newly-qualified dentists to the NHS for five years, and improve levels of access while introducing innovative new services to encourage local control and accountability. The BDA will be inviting meetings with the new team at the Department of Health.