Association says ‘bold and ambitious’ changes are needed to protect public health

The prime minister has proposed annual rises in the legal age for purchasing cigarettes. The move, echoing an approach already in force in New Zealand, has the potential to ensure the next generation grows up smoke free.

Dental professionals are on the frontline in the battle against oral cancer - which claims more lives each year than car accidents - and gum disease. Smoking is one of the key drivers of both conditions.

Dental leaders stress ministers must now show they are serious about prevention across all areas of health. The BDA says the ongoing access crisis in NHS dentistry is fuelling widening inequalities, with unmet need for NHS dentistry in 2023 estimated at one in four of England’s adult population. The first oral health survey of five-year-olds published since lockdown showed no improvements in decay levels.