Third of Blackpool 5-year-olds have tooth decay - MP

One in three five-year-olds in Blackpool has "visible signs of tooth decay", while only a third of adults in the seaside town have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, an MP has said.

Blackpool South MP, Chris Webb, told the Commons that every week his constituents have come to him to raise problems constituents about accessing a dentist.

He said a four-year-old boy from Blackpool was left with agonising tooth decay for two years because of a shortage of dental care locally.

Health minister Karin Smyth said the government is "determined" to improve access to dentists.

Webb told BBC Radio Lancashire the mother of the four-year-old boy felt "helpless" and it was "heart-breaking".

"She didn't know where to turn, her son's constantly in pain," he said.

"To treat that with ibuprofen rather than getting into a dentist to solve the problem is just wrong and it just shows how badly the system's been broken and that has to change."

"Too many kids are turning up at A&E with a tooth problem, but at that point it's too late and the only course of action is extraction."

An survey in February of 10 dental practices in Blackpool by the local branch of consumer health service champion Healthwatch found none were accepting NHS patients.

Webb told MPs in a debate on access to NHS Dentistry the problem "seems to be more prevalent in Blackpool because of the deprivation" and it was "essential" to educate parents to make sure they supervised children brushing their teeth.

He said he has been unable to find an NHS dentist in the town for himself since he became an MP a year ago, even though he has been told they have capacity.

"I've seen dentists where they've got new, fantastic facilities empty because they're not taking any more NHS patients," he said.

"So we've got to look at the contract and make sure that it's financially viable and it's incentivised for them to take on more patients."

Responding on behalf of the government, Smyth, said: "There are no perfect pay models and careful consideration is being given to any changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession.

"It is an immense challenge, there are no quick fixes and no easy answers, but people across the country deserve better access and we're determined to make that happen."

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