I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 18 March in response to Question 117934.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the allocation of Dental Foundation Training (DFT) places is fair, transparent, and based on the needs of both foundation-stage dentists and patients.

Applicants to DFT can express preferences for training programmes and locations as part of the national recruitment process. Places are allocated based on rankings following a Situational Judgement Test and then candidates’ preference ranking. Additional support is provided to applicants with approved special circumstances, including those with significant caring responsibilities, medical conditions or disabilities, or parental responsibilities that limit their ability to relocate.

NHS England keeps recruitment and allocation processes under regular review.

In Bristol, the South West, and across the rest of England, we are committed to increasing access to dental treatment for those in greatest need, as set out in the reform programme published last December, and available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-millions-of-nhs-dental-patients

The latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures, with more National Health Service dental care being delivered, more dentists providing NHS services, improved access for patients, increased preventative care for children, and record levels of urgent dental activity. The publication of the annual dental statistics, which include statistics for the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526

Funding for preventative dental health programmes, including supervised toothbrushing and wider oral health improvement in Bristol and elsewhere in England, is available through the Public Health Grant. Further information can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2026-to-2027

National Health Service dental statistics identify dentists who performed NHS dental activity in a given financial year.

The annual NHS dental statistics published by the NHS Business Services Authority show the number of dentists who performed any amount of NHS dental activity in England in the last five financial years. This shows that 24,655 dentists performed NHS work in 2024/25.

Within these statistics a ‘leaver’ is defined as a performer who carried out NHS dental activity in the previous financial year but none in the following year. A joiner is defined as a performer who carried out NHS dental activity in the specified year but none in the previous year.

These data do not show whether a dentist has permanently left NHS practice, as a dentist may return in a later year.

The following table shows the number of dentist leavers and joiners for each year from 2020/21 to 2024/25:

National Health Service dental statistics identify dentists who performed NHS dental activity in a given financial year. Within these statistics a ‘leaver’ is defined as a performer who carried out NHS dental activity in the previous financial year but none in the following year. This data does not show whether a dentist has permanently left NHS practice, as a dentist may return in later years.

The following table shows the total number of dentists who have done some NHS work and the leavers each year from 2020/21 to 2024/25:

Source: Dental statistics – England, 2024/25, NHS Business Services Authority

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas. The Government is committed to ensuring that people across the country can access urgent dental care when they need it. In 2025/26, integrated care boards (ICBs) commissioned additional urgent dental appointments, and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. From April 2026, dentists are now required to deliver a set number of urgent dental appointments each year.

Nationally, 1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election. For the NHS Dorset ICB, which includes the West Dorset constituency, this figure was 5,217 more treatments.

Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions for NHS dentistry. The recruitment of dentists remains a priority. ICBs, including NHS Dorset ICB, are able to make use of the Golden Hello scheme to encourage dentists to work in those areas that need them most.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. In the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, we committed to making it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period of at least three years.

We are increasing the availability of Overseas Registration Exam and Licence in Dental Surgery examinations for overseas-qualified dentists to enable an additional 2,000 dentists to join the register annually from 2028/29.

We are committed to fundamentally reforming the dental contract by the end of this Parliament.

We have recently announced that two new dental schools, in Portsmouth and East Anglia, have each been allocated 25 new dental school places. These new dental schools are located in areas that previously did not have Government-funded dental training places. This increase means that England will have 859 funded dental school places from 2027/28, supported by an additional £11 million per year once the expansion is fully implemented.

Allocating dental training places is a statutory responsibility of the independent Office for Students.

The following table shows the number of dentists that performed National Health Service work each year in England between 2020/21 and 2024/25:

Source: NHS Business Services Authority annual dental statistics

Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions to rebuild National Health Service dentistry. The recruitment of dentists remains a priority, with integrated care boards continuing to be able to make use of the Golden Hello scheme to encourage dentists to work in those areas that need them most.

The 10-Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We will now make it a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be at least three years.

We are also taking steps to increase the supply of dentists. We announced the first sustained expansion of dental school places since 2007. Backed by £11 million, a total of 50 dental school places a year have been allocated equally to the Universities of Portsmouth and East Anglia.

We are increasing the availability of ORE and LDS examinations for overseas-qualified dentists to enable an additional 2,000 dentists to join the register annually from 2028/29.

Our ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament, focused on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.