Speaking up on Bournemouth’s Dentistry Crisis

Published: 13 November 2024

On the 12th November, I stood up in Parliament to share Jonathon’s story.

I’ve always believed that dentistry is about more than just teeth, but hearing from a constituent about how a dentist saved his life emphasised the need for local people to have greater access to oral care in Bournemouth.

Jonathon went to his dentist for what he thought would be a routine dental check-up this spring, but ended up being diagnosed with stage-four follicular lymphoma.

It was his dentist—not an oncologist—who first spotted the warning sign: a lump in Jonathon’s neck that hadn’t been there before.

Thanks to this early detection, Jonathon’s prognosis looks good, and he’s started treatment. His dentist, in an otherwise completely standard appointment, helped save his life.

Stories like Jonathon’s highlight the sad truth: for too many people in Bournemouth, finding an NHS dentist is tougher than it should be.

In June 2024, only 41% of Dorset’s adults had an NHS dental appointment in the past two years.

Children fare a little better at 51%, but that still means nearly half aren’t seeing a dentist.

Meanwhile, each NHS dentist in Dorset is responsible for more people than ever before—a 9% increase in just five years.

In my view, that’s not just a statistic; it’s a glaring signal that we’re failing families who rely on the NHS to keep them healthy. When appointments aren’t available, small dental issues escalate into major problems, forcing people into A&E and driving up costs for everyone. Even worse, serious health conditions—like lumps, infections, or early signs of diseases—might go unnoticed without that first line of defence.

That’s why I raised the issue of Bournemouth’s NHS dentistry in Parliament on November 12th. I called for training and retaining more dental workers—particularly at our local Health Sciences University in Boscombe—and for a major overhaul of how we contract and fund dental services.

The Government says it wants to fix this, and I’m committed to ensuring Bournemouth isn’t left behind.

My job as your MP is about standing up for people’s daily realities, whether that’s a crumbling playground or an overwhelmed dentist’s surgery. Having talked with Jonathon about his ordeal, it’s clearer to me than ever: dentists really do save lives—if we give them the chance.

With better training, fairer contracts, and the resources to see everyone who needs them, we can relieve pressure on A&E and, more importantly, catch potential disasters before they become unmanageable.