Health and social care secretary Yvette Cooper has highlighted the delivery of ‘3.5 million more dental appointments a year’ as part of the government’s record on the NHS in her first speech to the Labour Party conference as health secretary.

Ms Cooper was addressing delegates in Liverpool in a speech setting out the government’s approach to health and the NHS, but only referred to dentistry once.

The British Dental Association (BDA) criticised the lack of further detail on the problems facing the service.

In her speech, Ms Cooper said: ‘Two years into a Labour government, we are rebuilding our NHS again with the vital work that [former Prime Minister] Keir Starmer, [and former health secretaries] Wes Streeting and James Murray began.

‘Twelve thousand more doctors, 14,000 more nurses and health visitors, 1,900 more midwives, over 8,000 more mental health workers, 5 million more hospital appointments a year, 3.5 million more NHS dental treatments a year, 20 million more GP appointments a year, bringing waiting times down.’

However, this was her only mention of dentistry at a time of ‘crisis’, the BDA said.

BDA chair Dr Eddie Crouch said: ‘Labour wanted to tell this country it can “hope again”. The radio silence on the crisis in NHS dentistry gives little hope to a demoralised profession or the millions struggling to access care.’

The association pointed to figures published last month showing that the proportion of adults in England who had seen an NHS dentist in the previous two years remained at 40%, with activity yet to return to pre-Covid levels.

BDA analysis of official data published in the summer also estimated unmet need for NHS dentistry at more than 13 million adults – more than one in four of England’s adult population.

In addition, the association questioned whether recent changes to the NHS dental contract would increase provision, citing a survey in which just 1% of dentists said they were likely to increase the amount of NHS work they carried out following the changes, while 63% said they would reduce it.

Separate analysis by the Nuffield Trust found one in ten dental practices in England had given up their NHS contracts since 2017, including 135 practices since 2024.

The BDA also criticised the government for failing to hold its promised consultation on fundamental reform of NHS dentistry in the summer, and noted that no new investment had been committed to rebuilding the service.

Dr Crouch added: ‘Good vibes and nice soundbites are no substitute for urgent action, backed up by sustainable funding.’