25 Crawley kids had teeth pulled out in hospital last year as NHS dentistry went into crisis

25 children aged under 11 in Crawley were admitted to hospital for tooth extraction last year, government figures show.

People are finding it increasingly difficult to get an NHS dentist, as 12 years of Tory mismanagement of the health service is seeing dentists quitting in droves. 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year, around 10% of all dentists employed in England.

An estimated 4 million people can’t access NHS care and with some parts of the country now described as ‘dentistry deserts’, because remaining NHS dentists aren’t taking on new patients.

According to the British Dentistry Association, emergency teeth extractions are now the most common reason for children to go to hospital.

Labour is demanding that Steve Barclay brings forward a plan to ensure everyone who needs an NHS dentist can access one.