Devon’s Liberal Democratic MPs have called for crucial improvements in the county’s NHS dentistry services.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Lib Dem MPs called on the county’s Integrated Care Board (ICB) to ‘up its game’. They claim there are holes in the NHS contract with dentists, issues with recruitment and retention, and problems with accessing care.

Latest NHS statistics show that only half of the children covered by Devon’s ICB saw a dentist in 2022-2023, the last period for which there is data. Six out of 10 adults haven’t seen a dentist in the last two years.

One in five people are reported to have turned to ‘DIY dentistry’ in desperation.