THE number of people who have seen an NHS dentist in Somerset has plummeted in recent years, according to House of Commons Library research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats.

More than 64,000 children in Somerset were not seen by an NHS dentist in the past year.

This is despite the NHS recommending that under-18s see a dentist at least once a year because their teeth can decay faster, compared to every two years for adults. Tooth decay is also the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged six to 10.

Similarly, only 38 per cent (or four in 10) adults in Somerset were able to secure an appointment with an NHS dentist in the past two years.

Distressingly, polling found that one in five (21 per cent) of the adults unable to see dentists have carried out DIY dentistry in a desperate attempt to relieve their pain.

Through the recent survey, constituents were able to share their personal worries with the Liberal Democrats.

“I’ve recently had a baby and am entitled to free dentistry, but I can’t use this without an NHS place,” one respondent said.

“Pregnancy and post-natal hormones can have damaging effects on teeth and gum health, but I can’t get help. I also have a 3-year-old daughter who won’t be taken on an NHS list either.”

“I have many patients with oral cancers who are unable to register with an NHS dentist,” another wrote.

“The dentists play a huge role in identifying oral cancers by doing mouth checks and feeling for neck lumps… These people cannot afford private dental care. It’s appalling!”

Gideon Amos, MP for Taunton and Wellington, has called for an end to Somerset's "dental deserts" saying that the figures were a “damning indictment” of the Conservative party’s legacy of running local health services into the ground.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency rescue plan for NHS dentistry, including spending any funding that has gone unspent in recent years to boost the number of appointments as well as the removal of VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Mr Amos said: “My Taunton and Wellington dental survey in 2022 showed that over half no longer had an NHS dentist. 

"Since then, the picture has got worse and worse, Somerset has become a dental desert where it is no longer possible to register with an NHS dentist – one of the worst hit areas of the country. 

“We’ve reached a breaking point in this crisis. NHS dentist appointments are becoming harder to get than ever and some practices are shutting their doors to NHS patients altogether, yet the government is missing in action.

“As the cost-of-living catastrophe continues to hit households hard, private dentistry is not a feasible alternative for the many people living in pain. 

“It’s a national scandal that people in our community are desperately turning to dangerous DIY dentistry because our public health services have been run into the ground by this Conservative government. 

“The only way we will rescue dentistry in our area is by the government investing in local health services at the Budget and bringing an end to dental deserts so that every child in Taunton and Wellington can see a dentist when they need to.”