London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

General election: Labour pledges free dental check-ups

The party hopes to spot oral cancers earlier and stop "DIY dentistry" - but its policy could cost up to £450m a year.
The party announced plans to roll back the band one fees introduced in 1951, three years after the NHS was launched.

It will mean everyone in England getting a free MOT with their dentist, which will include a check for oral cancer.

The British Dental Association has estimated it will cost £450m per year.

Offering free dental check-ups will encourage more people to go to the dentist, with nearly one in five patients currently delaying going as they cannot afford it, Labour said.

The party claimed the policy would also greatly improve children's oral health, with tooth decay the main reason for hospital admissions among five to nine-year-olds.

Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth added it would reduce the number of people partaking in so-called "DIY dentistry".

"It's shocking that so-called 'DIY dentistry' is becoming so common with people resorting to doing their own fillings and seriously risking their teeth deteriorating further," he said.

"With 135,000 patients presenting at A&E with dental problems every year, it's time we put prevention at the heart of our approach to dental health.

"People should not be risking their teeth because they can't afford the care. With Labour, dental check-up fees will be scrapped as we help people live healthier lives."

The policy would be the "first step towards making all dentistry services free of charge", Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also declared.

Labour promised its funding explanations would be laid out in the upcoming fully costed manifesto, expected to be published on Thursday.

The party finalised the manifesto during a meeting of their NEC, with Mr Corbyn saying afterwards that it was a "transformative document" that will "change people's lives for the better".

Dental care was free at the point of use when the NHS was launched in 1948, but due to overwhelming demand, charges for dentures, the first charges of any kind for NHS treatment, were introduced in 1951.

Charging for dental procedures proved to be controversial and lead to the resignation of Aneurin Bevan, the Labour minister who played a pivotal role in bringing the NHS into existence.

Other charges for treatment soon followed and, today, a band one NHS dental check-up costs a patient £22.70.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×