If elected, the Greens will push for a new contract for NHS dentists that ensures everybody who needs an NHS dentist has access to one. The party said it will be backed by an additional £3bn for the dentistry budget by 2030.
Adrian Ramsay, co-leader said, "In many parts of the country it is now impossible to register with an NHS dentist, and many dentists are de-registering NHS patients to avoid treating them at a loss.
“Too many of us are feeling the consequences: dropping from regular preventative dental visits to only going when we have a problem that needs treatment. Prevention is so much better than treatment, and it’s a national outrage that tooth decay is now the top reason for child hospital admissions.
“Our Green plan for dentists will put the billions into the NHS needed to turn around fourteen years of Conservative failure, and ensure every person in every community will have access to an affordable NHS dentist.
“Green MPs will commit to meeting with the British Dental Association as soon as possible after the election, so that we can pile the pressure on the next government to fix dentistry as a matter of urgency.”
The announcement follows a British Dental Association (BDA) review of each party’s manifesto's dental policies.
The BDA stated that “meaningful reform needs to go hand in hand with fair funding” and noted the “multi-billion-pound promises” made in the Green Party manifesto.
The Green Party has also committed to pushing for all children to have a daily free school meal, made from nutritious ingredients and based on local, organic, sustainable produce. The BDA supports universal free school meals “to fight the severe impact child hunger and poor nutrition are having on children’s dental health.”