One in six people in north Cumbria and the northeast of England do not have a dentist, new figures suggest.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) health insight survey show 17 per cent of the 4,957 respondents in the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board did not have a dentist.
Meanwhile, 58 per cent had an NHS dentist and 25 per cent had a private dentist.
Across England, an estimated 13 per cent of people aged 16 and over in England did not have a dentist.
The figures show significant inequality, with nine per cent of the least deprived not having a dentist compared to 22 per cent of the most deprived.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said NHS Dentistry has ‘ceased to exist’ for new patients as it called for the Government to ‘rescue’ the service.
The professional body added it welcomed the tone set by the central government in accepting NHS dentistry is ‘broken’, and stated that closing the oral health gap represents a ‘moral crusade’.
Eddie Crouch, BDA chair, said: "For new patients NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist.
"Millions are struggling to access needed care, and those with the highest needs and lowest incomes are the hardest hit.
"A new government has made the right noises, but deeds need to match words."
Josh MacAlister, Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington, said: “The Tories allowed NHS dentistry to be dismantled here and across the country.
“The new Labour government will rescue NHS dentistry, but we can't do it overnight.”
He said he’s in ‘regular contact’ with local NHS bosses and ministers to ‘begin the process of rebuilding our NHS’.
“I am determined to improve services here in west Cumbria and will continue to work on this as a top priority in the coming months and years."
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Julie Minns, Labour MP for Carlisle, said: "The Tories had 14 years to fix NHS dentistry.
"Instead, they presided over its virtual extinction, taking us to a point where the most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital is to have rotting teeth removed."
Ms Minns said some Carlisle residents are forced to make a 100-mile round trip to register with an NHS dentist.
Speaking during a recent debate on rural affairs, she said: "Not one Tory MP would take responsibility for this."
In contrast, the new Labour government has committed to tackling the issue, announcing a ‘Dentistry Rescue Plan’ aimed at creating 700,000 additional emergency dental appointments each year and addressing ‘dental deserts’, she said.
"Everyone understands that it is going to take time to rebuild NHS dentistry.
"But unlike the last Government, we are serious about reforming the NHS dentistry contract," Ms Minns added.
She concluded that the new secretary of state for health met with dental leaders within days of the general election to begin discussions on reform, showing Labour’s intent to address the issue swiftly.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "It is unacceptable to this government that so many people are struggling to find an NHS dentist.
“We are committed to rebuilding the sector, but it will take time.
“We will start with an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments to help those who need it most, and we will increase access by reforming the dental contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists."
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