Somerset health bosses have admitted they have no immediate plans to open a new NHS dental practice in Glastonbury – despite hundreds of local residents calling them to end the town's dental crisis.

Since losing its NHS dentist in 2018, Glastonbury and the wider Mendip area has become a "dental desert", where practices have refused to provide NHS treatment – forcing people to register privately or travel as far as Cirencester and Southampton for treatment.

Hundreds of Glastonbury residents have signed a petition organised by the Glastonbury Independent Alliance calling on this situation to be changed, arguing it is costing the NHS more in the long run due to rising rates of oral cancer and other illnesses.

NHS Somerset said it would meet with the group to discuss the matter in the coming weeks and said it was working hard to recruit and retain more NHS dentists across Somerset.

Emma King from the Glastonbury Independent Alliance launched the petition in question on the campaigning site Change.org – a petition which has attracted more than 370 signatures as of Thursday (January 30).

She said: "It is a well-known fact that Glastonbury is an area with high levels of poverty and low levels of car ownership.

"The impact of poverty not only means that people are taking expensive dental work into their own hands, or are having to borrow money in order to get vital dental treatment, but it also means that we are likely to have less nutritious diets and therefore weaker teeth.

"Compounding the issue with a lack of car ownership and poor public transport links, we become an isolated community struggling with basic health care provision.

"Some people are travelling to Castle Cary to access NHS dental work, but this is only accessible for those with use of a car.

"The need for NHS dentistry is increased further for children or for pregnant women, who should all be getting free dental care by default."

Ms King said that the failure to provide NHS dentistry was leading to additional costs elsewhere in the health sector – citing a recent case where a patient was hospitalised with sepsis after failing to access dental care.

She elaborated: "Mouth cancer rates have been increasing in the UK, and the Oral Health Foundation reports that cases have more than tripled in the last 20 years.

"Suspected oral cancer referrals to head and neck surgeons are generally higher from areas of socio-economic deprivation where lifestyle risk factors like smoking and alcohol consumption are traditionally more prevalent and where current NHS dental provision is poorest (known as 'dental deserts').

"Referrals from dentists tend to result in earlier stage disease at diagnosis."

Ms King added that the lack of NHS dentistry in and around Glastonbury would only lead to these problems worsening as new housing was delivered – such as the approved development of 90 homes on Lowerside Lane.

She said: "Vine Surgery in Street has not had any NHS dentists working there for at least 18 months now and none of the MyDentist practices in Somerset are currently taking on new patients.

"In an area where we have a large house building programme and a growing population, as well as a growing elderly population, this is neither acceptable nor sustainable."

 Ms King's demands have been echoed by the Somerset and North Devon branch of the Unite trade union, which has urged the government to provide more funding for NHS dentists across the south west.

A spokesman said: "Glastonbury is in the middle of the dental desert that is Somerset. There are no available NHS dental spaces in Mendip and the Find My Dentist website is inaccurate, claiming that Vine Surgery in Street has dental spaces when they no longer even have an NHS dentist.

"Many people are just having to put up with tooth issues and this can lead to hospitalisation. People are registering with dentists as far away as Southampton and Cirencester as they can't find anyone nearer.

"Glastonbury has one of the highest levels of child poverty in the country, about one in three people have no access to a car and there are still high levels of smoking. We desperately need NHS dental provision in the town."

NHS Somerset said it had been working hard to commission new NHS dental services across the former Mendip area, but admitted it had no immediate plans for a new NHS practice in the town.

A spokesman said: "We understand the frustration residents feel when trying to access NHS dental care. The concerns raised by the Glastonbury community are felt across the country and require both national reform and a coordinated local response.

"Since April 2023, NHS Somerset has been in charge of commissioning dental services, allowing us to better meet local needs. We're actively working on a dental transformation programme to address the current challenges with innovative solutions.

"These include paying dentists more to undertake NHS work, offering extra payments for seeing patients who haven't visited in the last two years, and increasing capacity through NHS 111 for urgent dental treatment.

"Additionally, we have committed £300,000 under the NHS dental recruitment incentive scheme to attract more dentists to Somerset, tackling workforce shortages.

"Preventative care and oral health education are key priorities for NHS Somerset. We proudly support initiatives like supervised tooth-brushing programmes, targeting 3 to 5-year-olds in 156 nurseries, preschools, and reception classes across the county.

"These programmes benefit more than 6,700 children, instilling good oral hygiene habits that will protect them for life.

"While there are no immediate plans for a new dental practice in Glastonbury, we remain committed to actively exploring innovative ways to address current gaps, including outreach services.

"We will be meeting with representatives from Glastonbury Independent Alliance in the next couple of weeks to discuss these issues further and to go through the dental transformation plans for Somerset which is responding to areas of need.

"We recognise the need for improved NHS services in Glastonbury and the whole of Somerset and remain committed to working collaboratively with national and local partners to ensure equitable and effective dental services for all."

To sign Ms King's petition, visit www.change.org/p/toothless-in-glastonbury-bring-back-our-nhs-dental-practice.