Britain is in the grip of a dental crisis, the British Dental Association has warned, as new figures reveal soaring levels of tooth decay, rising severe dental disease - and a surge in NHS hospitalisations for dangerous infections.

Last week the British Dental Association (BDA) held a meeting with health minister Stephen Kinnock calling for urgent government action. A spokesperson said a lack of affordable dental care has left millions suffering, often in pain or else taking out loans, travelling hundreds of miles to see a dentist or carrying out risky DIY dentistry.

Dental surgeons across the UK say the consequences are now spilling over into hospitals, with a rise in patients needing emergency treatment for dental infections so advanced they have blocked airways, facial swelling and se

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