“More people waiting for an NHS dentist than live in Wrexham,” say Welsh Liberal Democrats

Ella Groves

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the Welsh Government’s handling of the dental crisis in Wales noting than over 50,000 people in Wales are currently on NHS waiting lists.

The data showed that across Wales, 51,843 people are currently on dental waiting lists, including 5,413 children.

The worst-hit areas are Cardiff and Vale (13,557) and Hywel Dda (12,045), while even smaller health boards such as Powys report nearly 3,700 people waiting for care.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that left without access to an NHS dentist, thousands of families are being forced to go private, travel long distances, or go without treatment altogether.

They have stressed that this lack of access isn’t just about discomfort or inconvenience; it carries serious long-term health consequences.

Poor oral health can lead to gum disease and tooth loss, and for children, starting life without regular dental care can have lifelong impacts.

Routine dental check-ups are also a vital way to detect early signs of mouth cancer, meaning these long waits could have devastating consequences for early diagnosis and treatment.

To improve NHS dentistry in Wales the Welsh Liberal Democrats have proposed several policy changes, including raising dental funding to the higher levels seen in Scotland & Northern Ireland, setting binding targets for the Government and Health Boards to manage and reduce waiting lists and to remove barriers which prevent dental therapists and nurses from initiating treatments.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP, David Chadwick said: “It’s an absolute disgrace that more people are waiting for an NHS dentist in Wales than live in one of our largest cities.

“This crisis has been created on Welsh Labour’s watch and it’s ordinary families and our children who are paying the price.

“People are being left in pain, unable to find care for their children, or being forced to go private because the NHS system simply doesn’t work. Welsh Labour has had 25 years to fix this, yet the situation has only got worse.

“We need urgent reform, a fair dental contract that actually supports dentists to take on NHS patients, proper investment in community dental services, and a government that treats oral health as an essential part of healthcare, not an afterthought. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will keep fighting for a system that works for everyone in Wales.”

In response the Welsh Government said: “Since April 2022, our interim reform arrangements have enabled nearly 530,000 new patients to gain access to NHS dental care and a further 214,000 appointments have been delivered for new patients to receive urgent care.

“The first major change to NHS dentistry for 20 years coming into force in April will continue to improve access for people to NHS dental care with all practices being required to take new patients from the Dental Access Portal.

“We are proud to have developed the new contract in partnership with the BDA, the NHS and the people of Wales.”