Continuing policy action on dental care

02 December 2025


The political focus on dental care has continued to grow this year. Against a backdrop of persistent access challenges, workforce pressures, and concerns around widening inequalities in oral health, there is greater acknowledgement that the current system is no longer working. At Denplan, we want to help shape a future dental landscape that empowers the whole dental team, embedding prevention and supporting sustainable funding models.

Why oral health matters beyond dentistry

We are starting to see a shift in the conversation around dental care, reflecting a recognition that oral health does not exist in isolation – it impacts long-term health outcomes, quality of life, and broader issues such as education and employment (with our latest Oral Health Survey finding that 6% of respondents had taken time off work due to dental pain – amounting to approximately 11.7 million working days annually)¹. Yet, despite this increasing awareness, the policy environment remains fragmented, and there is much work still to be done to support national reform, which translates ambition into action.

This year, we remained committed to engaging policymakers on the changes needed – as set out in our 2024 white paper, The Future of Dentistry: Unlocking Solutions to Improving Oral Health, developed in partnership with the sector.

As we approach the end of the year, we wanted to reflect on key policy and political developments, our latest activity from a parliamentary perspective, and the issues we’re keeping an eye on as we look to 2026.

Recent policy and political developments

A focus on addressing long-standing workforce challenges

The government recently launched a call for evidence for the 10 Year Workforce Plan, seeking views from those already driving change at a local level – with a view to applying learnings as part of the implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan. With workforce being a key issue of importance to our 6,600 members – 58% of respondents to our latest member survey identified recruitment and retention as either the top or second-highest priority for government action² – we have responded to this, with a focus on the value of bringing together NHS and private provision of dental care, and supporting collaboration across the full dental workforce.

Changing faces in key scrutiny roles

From a political perspective, we’re continuing to see calls for action from opposition parties. The Liberal Democrats continue to be particularly vocal on dental care issues. However, we’ve seen role changes within the party which are important to consider when it comes to ongoing engagement efforts. Jess Brown-Fuller MP, while still actively interested in our asks, has now moved on from her role as Spokesperson for Hospitals and Primary Care, with Helen Maguire MP becoming Primary Care and Cancer Spokesperson. Helen Maguire has spoken out on dental care on multiple occasions, including with regard to recruitment issues, equitable access to care and services for people with disabilities. Over the coming months, we will remain focused on engaging with key parliamentary voices who can champion our policy asks.

Political discussion of the challenges in dentistry

Dentistry was not as high on the agenda at this year’s party conferences compared to previous years, with discussion largely focused on NHS issues and fairly light in terms of detail around proposals. However, back in Westminster, parliamentarians have continued to table questions to the government on issues such as dental contract reform and funding in the context of the Autumn Budget on 26 November.

Taking Denplan’s calls to Parliament

We took the sector’s asks directly to Parliament. On Wednesday, 22nd October, we hosted a two-part parliamentary event to showcase the critical role of prevention in children’s oral health and discuss how we can secure the future of dentistry by empowering the workforce at the heart of the profession.

The day began with BrightBites in Action, an interactive oral health education session that brought school children into Parliament, delivered in partnership with Dentaid The Dental Charity. The session, sponsored by Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, demonstrated the impact of prevention-focused programmes – and the importance of investing in early intervention to help tackle oral health inequalities.

This was followed by a parliamentary reception, Dental Care That Works for All, sponsored by Jess Brown-Fuller MP. The event convened policymakers, NHS leaders and sector experts, including Denplan members, to discuss practical solutions to secure the future of dentistry, building on our white paper. It also saw a speech from Dr Simon Opher MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Health Group, on the importance of keeping dental care high on the national policy agenda during a period of health system reform.

The events were attended by MPs from all three main political parties, who were keen to understand how they could support in calling for change in Parliament, alongside the action they can take within their local area. For instance, Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Ben Spencer MP joined the event to speak to Denplan member Dr Phillip Marsh about care provision in his constituency. The day reinforced Denplan’s position as a trusted partner to the government and an authoritative voice advocating for a sustainable and equitable dental system.

What’s next?

As we look to 2026, we will continue to engage with policy development, debate, and scrutiny to advocate for reforms that truly strengthen the future of dentistry – for professionals and patients alike. In particular, we will be focused on:

How the government’s 10 Year Health Plan is implemented in the context of dental care

With additional details on implementation still to be published, including on workforce, we will be seeking to ensure any proposals support improvements in dental care, in line with our policy asks.

Ensuring dentistry is incorporated into the new Neighbourhood Health System

As part of the government’s ambition to shift care into the community, we will be looking to ensure that dental therapists, hygienists, and nurses are integrated into design and delivery, given these professionals are well-positioned and trained to deliver prevention and early intervention in local settings.

Monitoring NHS dentistry contract activity

Further to the consultation launched in July, we’ll be keeping an eye on final contract changes and plans for implementation – to ensure we are supporting our members as best we can moving forward.

How Denplan members can influence change

As a Denplan member, you have a critical role to play in highlighting to the government why change in dentistry matters from the perspective of those delivering care on the ground. This year, we have been proud to bring some of our member dentists into Parliament to speak directly to policymakers – and we hope that this open dialogue between policymakers and the dental sector continues into next year, to strengthen care delivery for the future.

If you are interested in hearing more about our policy work or getting involved in 2026, please get in touch via [email protected].

References

1. Denplan (2024). Oral Health Survey. Available here: Oral Health Survey 2024 | Denplan

2. Denplan (2024). Member Survey. Data on file