Proposals must be more than mere lip-service

In the Austin Powers films there was a running joke that British people had terrible teeth. At the time it was viewed as rather an affront to our nation’s dentistry and our oral hygiene.

However, in the intervening years, as with many other aspects of our NHS, the service has been eroded until it has reached breaking point.

And that ‘joke’ would no longer be funny, but rather a sad reflection of the parlous state of the UK’s dental service.

There have been countless stories in the media in recent years about how difficult it is for adults to access an NHS dentist. There has been a mass exodus into the private sector.

Of course, as a result, people who can’t afford access to private health services have let it slide. The recommended six-monthly check-ups are a thing of the past.

The situation here in Portsmouth is among the worst in the country – the city has the seventh lowest number of NHS dentists per 100,000 in the country, at 42.

When health minister Maria Caulfield visited Smile Dental Care in Rowner, Gosport, she told The News that the government is weeks away from unveiling dental contract deal following negotiations with the British Dental Association.

This certainly sounds promising – and long overdue.

But given the government’s track record on broken promises, we’ll believe it when we see it.

And Shawn Charlwood, chairman of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee is already warning they could be ‘modest, marginal fixes’ at best.

This needs to be more than just lip-service and sticking plasters over gaping holes in provision.

Time, will of course, tell. And we will be watching closely.