A warning has been issued that South Shropshire could become a 'dental desert' without urgent changes to NHS dentistry.
Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire, has called for immediate action after he claimed 135 NHS dental practices nationwide have closed since Labour took office in 2024.
Mr Anderson said: "Everyone in South Shropshire deserves to be promptly seen by an NHS dentist and access treatment when needed.
"My Health and Social Care Survey, completed by over 1,400 residents, found dental access is a top issue.
"Residents tell me they cannot find an NHS dentist taking on new patients and face seemingly endless waits for appointments."
Mr Anderson added more than 12 million people in England were unable to access NHS dental care last year.
Sixty per cent of adults have not been able to see an NHS dentist in the past two years, according to recent analysis.
Mr Anderson said: "Under Labour, we are sleepwalking into a dental desert in rural areas like ours.
"We need emergency action now including full contract reform, proper funding, and targeted support for rural communities."
Although Labour claims to have increased overall funding by £0.5 billion, Mr Anderson argues that rural areas still lack targeted support.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned that an additional £1.5 billion per year is needed to ensure universal access to NHS dentistry.
Talks between the BDA and Government officials to reform the NHS dental contract began on September 15.
A recent BDA survey of more than 400 family dentists in England found two-thirds plan to reduce the number of NHS patients they see, with only one per cent intending to take on more.
Mr Anderson’s survey in South Shropshire, which received 1,423 responses, identified dentistry as a top-four concern.
Respondents reported long waits, difficulty finding NHS dentists, and in some cases, being forced to go private due to cost.
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