Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential relationship between the (a) presence of dental schools in a region and (b) recruitment and retention rates of dentists within that region.

Following a three-year review of dental education and training, Health Education England set out recommendations in the Advancing Dental Care Review. These aim to tackle recruitment and retention challenges, attracting and retaining more dentists and dental care professionals in the National Health Service. These recommendations will be implemented through the Dental Education Reform Programme.