Dental Health Matters

More than 1 in 4 adults in England were unable to access NHS dental care in 2023. Nine out of ten dental practices are no longer accepting new NHS adult patients. Tooth decay is the number one reason for children to be admitted to hospital. The WI wants to change this.

The Dental Health Matters campaign was voted for by members at the WI Annual Meeting on 5^th June 2024. Our members are concerned about the shortage of NHS dentists, dentist surgeries, and new patient spaces. This shortage, combined with the cost of living crisis, has led to the rise of ‘DIY Dentistry’ where people are suffering to the point of extracting their own teeth.

A report by the Health and Social Care Committee has described the current dental contract as ‘not fit for purpose’ and called on the government to reform dental contracts so that everyone who needs an NHS dentist can access one. Our members are therefore calling for the Government to take action by reviewing the NHS contracts and providing more places for people to train as dentists.

The Labour Party won the General Election in July with a manifesto pledging to tackle the dental health crisis. The new government has promised to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, recruit new dentists to areas that need them most, reform the dental contract, focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists, and introduce a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for 3- to 5-year-olds, targeting the areas of highest need.

Under the Dental Health Matters campaign, we are holding the government to account, pushing the reform of dental contracts, and engaging with them on their plans to retain NHS dentists.

Our members are writing to their MPs and MSs and sending them home-sewn tooth fairies, contributing to our research on the dental health crisis, and sharing their personal stories of experiencing hardship regarding their dental health. If you’re a WI member and want to get involved, visit the My WI website or email pa@nfwi.org.uk.

Biologically, women have unique oral health challenges, leading to women having poorer oral health in comparison to men over their lifetime. Women’s saliva tends to be more acidic than men’s, increasing the rate of dental decay in their mouths. Changing hormone levels during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can also raise the risk of problems in women’s mouths, teeth, or gums.

In a patriarchal system women are disproportionately responsible for the care load of their household, including being responsible for the cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Women are therefore often responsible for the health of both younger and older family relatives, including their oral health.  With NHS dental appointments becoming harder to obtain, women are bearing financial, temporal, physical, and mental health burdens for not only themselves but also their loved ones.

The WI has a long history of campaigning for the government to look at dental health as a priority for the lives of citizens across the UK:

Dental Health, 1926: Noticing the poor oral health of children, the NFWI held meetings with speakers from the Dental Board to discuss the subject of dental health.

Rothley WI – Northumberland Federation

Dental Health, 1930: The WI called for dental treatment to be available for all insured young persons.

Somerset Federation

Dental Health, 1960: The WI called for widespread instruction on preventing tooth decay, stressing the importance of diet in regard oral health.

Much Hadham Evening WI – Hertfordshire Federation

NHS Dentistry, 1996: The WI urged Her Majesty’s Government to recognise the increasing lack of NHS dentists and ensure NHS dental treatment is available and readily accessible to all.

Kings Sutton WI – Northamptonshire Federation 1996

Dental Health Matters, 2024: There is a chronic shortage of NHS Dentists and people are suffering health issues as a result. The NFWI calls on the Government to increase investment in the training and retention of dentists and to review the current inadequate NHS contracts in order to ensure everyone can access an NHS dentist wherever they live.

Staveley WI, Cumbria-Westmorland Federation June 2024