A dentist has described the Prime Minister’s plans to give cash to dental practices to accept new NHS patients, as "attractive" - but not enough alone to solve the problem.

PM Rishi Sunak recently announced plans to offer cash to dentists across the UK under a £200m NHS dentistry plan where dentists will also be offered £20,000 “golden hellos” to work in under-served communities.

Mobile dental teams will also be deployed to schools in under-served areas to give 165,000 children preventative fluoride varnish treatments to strengthen their teeth and prevent decay.

But leading dentists said the recovery package will not be enough to help people struggling to access dental care.

The Bolton News: Dr Zuber Bagasi in his clinic

Dr Zubair Bagasi, of Synergy in Bolton, said: “This works if the actual dentist working in practices are willing to take additional patients and this plan is welcoming.

“It encourages more dentists to take on NHS patients, but the capacity that each practice takes on will be limited and won’t solve the problem entirely.

“Because to do the work you still need to have dentists and right now there is a shortage of dentists.”

Dr Bagasi said the borough needed to train new dentists and develop the dental workforce similar to how the University of Bolton is launching a medical force in Bolton.

He said: “We need to attract new dentists to work here with lifestyle and economy like our town centre.

“We need to create our own dentists with the university and then get the dentists to do more work, so this is where PM’s plan comes to fruition.”

But, on the point of giving dentists money to work in under-served communities, Dr Bagasi was less confident.

He said: “It’s not as straightforward as giving cash to dentists.

“A dentist cannot just open an NHS practice anywhere and the money it receives has to be won by a formal tender.

“So, when they treat the patients who will pay the dentists to treat them?

“Because the money is ring-fenced and there is a cap. First thing is that it needs to be tendered.

“Mr Sunak's plan is attractive but will not work in reality.”

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The plans will also include adding fluoride to water all over the country, where in Bolton, levels are currently low.

Water fluoride is a mineral added to water that strengthens teeth and prevents tooth decay.

Dr Bagasi said: “Water fluoridation has shown to reduce tooth decay by 60 per cent and most dentists agree with this.”