3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on Coronavirus

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:22 pm on 22 June 2021.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Sioned Williams Sioned Williams Plaid Cymru 3:22, 22 June 2021

Minister, while the Welsh Government's briefings and statements on coronavirus have covered a wide range of areas, one area that's not received much attention, certainly lately, is dentistry. Clearly, emergency treatment has been available throughout the COVID period, but figures provided by the British Dental Association show that dentistry in Wales is currently operating at around a fifth of pre-pandemic levels. We know that regular preventative oral health checks are important, and some constituents of mine in the Swansea valley have contacted me expressing their concerns they have not had a routine check-up now for quite some time. There is an understanding, of course, that resuming routine check-ups must be done safely, but at the same time, there are also concerns around the potential widening of the oral health inequality gap. Will you therefore outline the Welsh Government's thinking on this, and the discussions that are taking place with the profession, and provide an indication of when you expect routine dental services to resume? Diolch.