“CHILDREN are having their teeth pulled out, and adults are getting the pliers out.”

These were the claims from York Central MP Rachael Maskell in a recent parliamentary debate on reforms to NHS dentistry.

The debate saw the government repeatedly under attack from Labour MPs, with a junior minister saying central government was responding to the crisis, blaming a backlog on the pandemic, and saying it was making changes to how it paid providers and increasing funding and staffing too.

However, for many, including Ms Maskell, this wasn’t enough, with her also repeating her previous calls for a dental training school in York.

READ MORE: 7,000 patients 'to lose NHS dentist' as BUPA to close Holgate practice

The Labour MP told the House: “The ever-growing despair has left York and North Yorkshire a dental desert. Thousands of my constituents cannot even get on a waiting list. If they are lucky as they phone around, they may be put on a list, but they then have to wait a minimum of five years to see a dentist.

“Children are having their teeth pulled out, and adults are getting the pliers out. Although this Government have to own the last 13 years, I want to look forward, not back, because we have a crisis to solve.”

The MP said in the past four years three dental practices in he York Central constituency stopped providing NHS dental care, and now BUPA is closing in Holgate in June.

“My community cannot get dental healthcare, and they are suffering and struggling because of that,” she said.

Ms Maskell then set out a vision for better dental care, for children and elderly especially, but co-operation was needed from the government.

She added: “I too welcome the meeting with the Minister about the proposed York dental school, and I have met the University of York to prepare the way for that. It is important that we train more dentists, but it is also an opportunity to embed a centre of dental development in our city. The ambition is there and the vision has been created.”

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Neil O’Brien MP, said the government has been changing legislation to try and improve matters and talking to dentists.

Mr O’Brien also said dentistry was “hit much harder than most other health services” vy Covid because of its close contact with people.

“We allocated £1.7 billion of funding to carry NHS dentists through the pandemic, which enabled many to survive, but dentistry was clearly hard hit.”

The government has starting to reform the contract, the first major change since 2006, to make NHS dentistry more attractive, and it has also made it easier for dentists to come to the UK.

Some 6.5 per cent more dentists were doing NHS work now than in 2010.

Mr O’Brien added: “But this is absolutely just the start and I know that we must go further.”