A bid to develop dentistry education across north and mid Wales amid a “deepening urgent dental care crisis” has been welcomed.

Politicians and academics embraced the news that Bangor University and Aberystwyth University have jointly submitted a high-level proposal to the Welsh Government.

It outlines a co-led school delivering dental education to strengthen primary and community dental care in rural and Welsh-speaking communities.

A statement on Bangor University’s website, recently said: “Working with the health boards and Cardiff University, the aim of the high-level plan is to create new dental training opportunities, addressing the need for enhanced dental education and services in north and mid Wales.

“The School, jointly led by Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities, would involve establishing dental education centres across the two regions, managed by both universities.

The plan is to focus on the needs of primary and community dental care across rural and semi-rural Wales, including the needs of Welsh speakers.

“The new dental school would benefit from the current provision at both Universities, including Bangor University’s North Wales Medical School and School of Health Science portfolios of health and dental programmes, and Aberystwyth University’s expertise in nursing education and rural health”.

Plaid Cymru representatives welcomed the move, which comes after the Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian sustained a long running campaign for a Bangor based dental school.

Mrs Gwenllian had commissioned the Filling the Gaps report in September 2024, evidencing the academic, clinical, and economic rationale for a Bangor-based dental school.

In November, 2024 she launched a public petition calling on the Welsh Government to act, and in January 2025 she led a Senedd debate securing cross-party support for progressing a formal strategic case.

Her office said it was her continued work that “kept the urgency of the dental workforce crisis firmly on the national agenda”.

The university plans will build on Bangor’s established medical and health-science strengths and Aberystwyth’s expertise in nursing and rural health.

Siân Gwenllian MS said “I warmly welcome this joint proposal.

“My report made clear that expanding dental training in Bangor is the logical and necessary step – if working with Aberystwyth helps accelerate progress, all the better.

“The case is undeniable, the dental crisis in the north is deepening, and we now need bold, collaborative action to deliver the workforce our communities deserve”.

Ynys Môn MS and Plaid leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “At a time of crisis for dentistry across Wales, the joint proposal put forward by Bangor University and Aberystwyth University is an exciting and welcomed development.

“My Plaid Cymru colleagues and I in north Wales will continue working closely with the universities and other stakeholders to ensure these plans come to fruition.

Elin Jones, Senedd Llywydd and MS for Ceredigion, said: “It’s great to see work on creating another Welsh dental school getting closer to becoming a reality.

“We are all familiar with issues facing dentistry in Wales.

“In Ceredigion and mid Wales, we currently have very limited access to NHS dentists, with hardly any able to take on new patients.

“Through our conversations with the university, in the next few years we will be able to train more dentists in Wales and increase the number of Welsh-speaking dentists as well”.

Bangor University’s Vice-Provost and Head of the College of Medicine & Health, Professor Mike Larvin, said:

“We are at a very early stage in our planning, but the University is wholeheartedly committed to developing the Dental School in north and mid Wales.

“We have strengthened our offer of both facilities and academic capacity to support our expansion of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy programmes, developed in collaboration with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and private dental providers.

“The funding environment is very challenging and we are working with the Welsh Government so that, when policy and funding environments permit, we are prepared to rapidly implement our proposals.”

Professor Iain Barber, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Sciences at Aberystwyth University, said:

“We are very proud to be working with our partners on this development which is so important to communities in the north and in mid Wales.

“There is a well-recognised long-standing shortage of dental professionals in our local communities.

“We know that this proposal could make a difference – evidence from the medical profession shows a strong link between where students train and where they choose to practice”.

Professor Nicola Innes, Head of Cardiff University’s School of Dentistry said:

“We welcome the opportunity to contribute to initial plans to develop a new Dental School in Wales.

“Like with the establishment of the North Wales Medical School, we will work with other Welsh universities and partners to ensure training opportunities are available in other parts of Wales”.