THE CRISIS in NHS dentistry in mid and west Wales looks set to get even worse following the publication of figures by the Welsh Government that show 17 per cent of dentists in Hywel Dda Health Board are approaching retirement.

The British Dental Association (BDA) warned earlier this week that NHS dentistry in Wales could disappear altogether over the space of months, with the Welsh Liberal Democrats have described NHS dental services in Wales and West Wales particularly as “being on life support”

The BDA has also warned dentists will leave the profession if the Welsh Labour Government does not improve its plans for the future of NHS dentistry.

Out of a recent survey of 250 high street dentists in Wales, conducted by the BDA, more than a third said they would reduce their NHS contract this year, while 13 per cent said they would hand back their contract entirely by March 2023.

A poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has previously shown that one in five people who had been unable to get an NHS dentist appointment had resorted to ‘DIY dentistry’.

Last month, the Cambrian News reported that a Senedd committee report found that there is no clear picture of the number of people waiting for dental treatment throughout Wales and that the true scale of the dentistry crisis is “unknown.”

The Senedd Health and Social Care Committee report on dentistry warned that support cannot be targeted in the right place to tackle the backlog as there is no clear picture of how many people are currently waiting to see an NHS dentist.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales Jane Dodds said: “I have made access to dentistry one of my top priorities since being elected and the issue regularly fills my inbox, one thing is abundantly clear, NHS dentistry in Wales is on life support.

“If we aren’t careful we will see it disappear within our lifetimes.

“Labour have allowed a two-tier system to develop where those with the money to do so can go private and everyone else is left languishing on a waiting list, often in pain and for months on end.

“We must see dentistry spend rise in Wales to similar levels of that in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

“We also need to see more dental therapists and nurses trained and to widen the type of work they are allowed to do to help ease pressure on dental practices and clear waiting lists.

“We cannot continue in this direction of travel and Welsh Labour cannot continue to be asleep at the wheel.

“They must engage constructively with the concerns of dentists over contract reform.

“Labour must commit to actually meeting face-to-face with the BDA to discuss issues around the contract reform.”