Analysis of patient survey data suggests that last year, 4.75 million people were either told there were no appointments available or the practice wasn’t taking on new patients, when they last tried to book an appointment. 

Cllr Dr Beccy Cooper, Leader of Worthing Borough Council and Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Worthing West Constituency, said: 

"The Conservatives have left NHS dentistry to well and truly rot and it is now out of reach for most in our communities if they can’t afford to go private. Patients in Worthing West are told to go without or do it themselves, with DIY dentistry now shockingly common in Tory Britain. 

“A dentistry revival is now needed across the country and if the Conservatives are given a fifth term: those who can afford it will continue to go private while those who can't will go without dentistry treatment.

“Labour has a fully-costed plan to rescue NHS dentistry by gripping the immediate crisis and reforming the service in the long-term. We will provide 700,000 urgent appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas most in need, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status.” 

Labour will introduce a dentistry rescue plan so patients can get an NHS dentist again, as new analysis reveals the overwhelming majority of practices have shut their doors to new patients. 

Healthwatch England has reported horror stories of people forced to pull their own teeth out, with one in 10 Brits claiming to have attempted their own dental work. 

Vast parts of England are now ‘dental deserts’, where no dentists are available. 

The government has launched a pilot in Cornwall where NHS dentistry will only be offered to children and the most vulnerable. 

Labour is promising to take immediate action to provide care for those in most urgent need, and long-term reform to restore NHS dentistry to all who need it. The party’s plans include: 

•Funding NHS dental practices to provide 700,000 more urgent appointments, for patients in need of things like fillings and root canal. 

•Incentives for new dentists to work in areas with the greatest need, to tackle the emergence of ‘dental deserts’ where no NHS dentists are taking on new patients. 

•Supervised toothbrushing in schools for 3-5 year olds, targeted at the areas with highest childhood tooth decay 

•Reform the dental contract to rebuild the service in the long-run, so NHS dentistry is there for all who need it 

The plans will cost £111 million a year in total and be funded by abolishing the non-dom tax status, which allows people who live and work in Britain to pay their taxes overseas.