MORE than a year after plans were announced, Launceston’s appears no closer to its much-needed dentist.

In August 2023, it was announced that planning permission was granted for the construction of a new build dental practice in between Launceston and Lawhitton.

The practice application, made by Mr Simon Wakeham, proclaimed that it would be bringing a new dentist’s surgery to a location on land northwest of Tiny Tots Ltd, Sheers Barton, Lawhitton, Launceston – towards Greystone Bridge.

In documents sent as part of the planning approval, the applicants confirmed that the new building is set to house both NHS and private dentistry services, saying: “To give our town of Launceston a friendly and welcoming yet sustainable and eco-friendly dental practice that provides NHS and private dentistry with the opportunity for all people to look after their oral health while taking away the stigma of a dental practice of being a scary and stressful experience.”

However, more than 16 months on from its approval, residents have seemingly been left no further forward.

Despite having six dentist practices in the town, there is a huge desire among locals for more services, particularly NHS dentistry.

A report by Healthwatch Cornwall released at the beginning of November found that no practices were accepting new adult NHS patients.

Healthwatch Cornwall engaged with 1,097 members of the public and 96 dental practices to understand the experiences and challenges of local people accessing dental services in Cornwall.

Underfunding and systemic problems within the NHS dental care system are identified as the root cause of the crisis. These include financial pressures on NHS practices due to the Unit of Dental Activity (UDA) payment system, difficulties in meeting contractual targets, and ineffective centralised NHS waiting list management.

As a result, many dentists are reducing their NHS commitments or transitioning to private practice. All dental practices included in this report said they have faced challenges in recruiting staff in the last 24 months.

As such, Launceston and its surrounding areas have been crying out for another dentist within the town.

Launceston-based design company PLACE Architects, has been appointed to design the practice.

According to PLACE: “The clients recognised that there is a real need for dentistry services not just in Cornwall but all over the UK too.”

With no updates regarding the progress of the practice’s establishment, the Post got in touch with PLACE Architects, to find out if there were any updates.

When asked if there were any updates on the progress of the practice, spokesperson from the design organisation explained: “We can confirm there are no more updates from our side at this moment in time.”

With no new updates, and no local practices offering free dental care, residents are calling out for a new practice.

Are you registered with a dentist? Do you need a local dentist? Or do you wish your dentist was closer? Let us know you experiences with dentistry in Cornwall via our socials or via: [email protected]