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Chamber and committees

World Oral Health Day 2023

  • Submitted by: Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
  • Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2023
  • Submitting member has a registered interest.

  • Motion reference: S6M-08379

That the Parliament recognises that World Oral Health Day 2023 took place on 20 March; notes that, each year, the FDI World Dental Federation launches a global campaign on World Oral Health Day to raise awareness of the importance of good oral health; understands that the 2023 campaign theme focused on the importance of caring for your mouth at every stage of life; believes in the importance of routine access to primary oral health care for all, to prevent oral diseases that can lead to pain and discomfort, social isolation, loss of self-confidence and other serious health issues; notes with concern reports that, in Scotland, increasing numbers of people are unable to register with an NHS dentist and are being deregistered from NHS dental services; is further concerned by reports that over half of practitioners across Scotland have reduced their NHS commitment and over four in five intend to further reduce their NHS commitment in the year ahead; understands that it is considered that the current funding system is broken and unsustainable; notes the view that the future of NHS dentistry in Scotland is at risk due to an ongoing exodus of NHS dentists, and that this is likely to lead to families losing access to local NHS dentistry altogether and impacting those in more deprived communities hardest, and further notes the calls on the Scottish Government to take action to tackle what it sees as this crisis, by prioritising meaningful reform and sustainable funding for NHS dentistry in Scotland.


Supported by: Jackie Baillie, Jeremy Balfour, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Finlay Carson, Foysol Choudhury, Sharon Dowey, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Meghan Gallacher, Maurice Golden, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Jamie Greene, Craig Hoy, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Douglas Lumsden, Fulton MacGregor, Roz McCall, Edward Mountain, Douglas Ross, Alexander Stewart, Paul Sweeney, Annie Wells, Tess White, Brian Whittle