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Dental Services

Asked by Cameron ThomasIndependentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 21 April 2026UIN 127705

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure early detection of dental issues for adults who cannot access NHS dental services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

The Government is acting to improve early detection of dental issues and care for adults. Over the past year, integrated care boards (ICBs) have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. Some patients may be particularly vulnerable to oral health problems, and ICBs are also responsible for commissioning specialised dental services to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes or community dental services for patients that may have difficulty accessing high street dental services due to social, medical, or dental needs. We are also committed to reforming the dental contract by the end of this Parliament, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly.

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