The Prime Minister visited a Newquay dentist on Thursday following the government launching its dental recovery plan.

Rishi Sunak met staff and patients at Gentle Dental in Henver Road where he stated he was taking significant action to end the crisis in dentistry.

The government is preparing to offer dentists cash incentives to take on extra NHS patients, and send teams to schools to treat children's teeth.

Up to 240 dentists will also be offered £20,000 to work for three years in under-served areas.

There will also be a scheme to tackle dental decay among young children.

Mr Sunak said: "It hasn't been easy enough for people to access NHS dentistry over the past couple of years, particularly as a result of the impact of the pandemic which hit dentistry services harder than almost anything else because they were the hardest things to continue in any form during Covid.

"The announcements this week will make a significant difference and quickly.

“Two and a half million more NHS appointments to get levels back up to where they were pre Covid, attracting dentists to work in underserved areas.

“This will be particularly valuable in areas like the South West where I am today.

"Mobile vans going into underserved communities as well.

“Taken together, it's a very significant new investment in dentistry so that everyone can get the access that they need."