A DENTISTRY summit will be held next month to discuss the scale of the challenges on dentistry in Cornwall, and to find practical solutions that will benefit residents.

The summit will take place on Friday, 17 July at Lys Kernow (County Hall) in Truro and will be live streamed. It will consist of a question-and-answer session followed by an expert panel discussion. Those invited to attend will include NHS partners, dental professionals, relevant training academies, political representatives and public health professionals.

Residents are invited to submit questions in advance to be asked on the day, and will be able to submit questions in real time during the event.

Cornwall Council leader Cllr Leigh Frost said: “Lack of access to NHS dentistry is a longstanding problem in Cornwall. It is frankly scandalous that people are travelling huge distances, sometimes outside Cornwall, for basic dental appointments.

“Parents are worrying about their children. Older people are struggling to get the care they need, and too many residents have become accustomed to living with pain.

“This is a complicated issue, and it is bigger than Cornwall. It will not be solved by pretending there is a quick fix. But we’re not powerless either. We can bring the right people together, have an open conversation about the scale of the challenge, and focus on finding practical solutions that will benefit our residents.”

It is thought that the event will provide a clear, evidence-based account of the current position on dental access in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; build a shared understanding across partners, members and the public of the scale of the challenge and the key constraints; clarify what is realistically deliverable locally, rather than at regional or national level; and support a small number of practical, system-wide commitments and next steps.

Cllr Thalia Marrington, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for community safety and public health, said: “By getting all the right people together, we expect to identify some of the key issues, such as why Cornwall struggles to attract dentists and what could be done to make it more attractive for them to stay after studying here.

“By identifying which issues are local and which are national, we can begin to work together to tackle some of the local ones and agree what can be done to influence national policy, all of which will go towards improving the services available for residents.”

The announcement follows a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire revealing that £1.22 million of Cornwall’s NHS dental budget for 2024/5 was returned to the Government. The NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (ICB) says that under NHS rules, when a dental provider doesn’t fulfil its contract, the money must be returned and cannot be carried forward or used for other services.

The NHS in has said it has taken steps locally to improve the situation, including reviewing under-performing contracts and creating new NHS dental services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

To submit a question to the summit, visit https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/dentistry-summit.