- One in 10 people have attempted DIY dental treatment, such as pulling out a tooth with pliers.
Labour's health spokesman has promised to end Dickensian “DIY dentistry” and dental deserts across England.
The party will launch adverts on Monday in certain constituencies where dental clinics have stopped accepting new NHS patients, featuring images of the inside of children's mouths with rotten teeth.
Wes Streeting said the Fourth of July was a golden opportunity to “stop the rot” and save NHS dentistry, particularly in “dental deserts” such as Bolsover, Stroud, Filton and Bradley Stoke, rather than leaving desperate patients to help themselves with pliers.
Labour's dental rescue plan will propose supervised tooth brushing in primary schools after NHS data revealed that the number one reason for hospital admissions for children aged six to 10 is tooth extractions due to cavities.
It will also offer a £20,000 “golden hello” to new dental graduates who work in underserved areas for at least three years.
Labour's health spokesman will accuse the Conservatives of planning to abolish NHS dentistry after the election and replace it with an insurance scheme – an idea proposed by Health Secretary Andrea Leadsom just weeks before the election.
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“After 14 years of the Conservative government ignoring dentists, it's virtually impossible to get an appointment, with people resorting to pulling their own teeth. DIY dentistry should be the subject of a Charles Dickens book, not the Britain of 2024,” Mr Streeting said.
“Under the Conservative government, communities across the country have become dental deserts, with no NHS dentists for miles around.”
“It's clear that the country is going backwards under the Conservative government. Services that were once available to all are disappearing.”
“People living in underserved dental communities have the chance this election to stop dental corruption and save dentistry in the NHS.”
A Labour Party survey earlier this year found that eight in 10 dental clinics have stopped accepting new NHS patients.
Another YouGov poll found that one in 10 people have tried DIY dental work, with some even pulling out their own teeth with pliers.
Last year the NHS failed to meet its targets for screening and dental fillings across the country except north London.
The party hopes to make up the gap by adding 700,000 urgent and emergency dental appointments per year.
A Conservative spokesman said: “Labour's dental pledges are part of a £38.5 billion surplus plan and will increase household tax by £2,094.”
“If Labour had a plan for dentistry they would deliver it in Wales. But the reality is that 93 per cent of NHS dental practices in Labour-run Wales are not accepting patients.”