Strong Roots campaign launches to tackle ‘Dental Desert’ crisis and build workforce for Lincolnshire and beyond
Lincolnshire MPs are backing a major new campaign, launched to address the growing dental workforce crisis and improve access to NHS dentistry, starting in some of the hardest-hit communities in the country.
Led by the University of Lincoln, the Strong Roots for Oral Health campaign calls for a new approach to how the UK trains dentists, rooted in the communities where need is greatest, and invites the public to back a bold, ready-to-deliver solution.
Across Lincolnshire and much of the East of England, access to NHS dental care has reached crisis point, say campaign leaders. In some areas, fewer than one in three people can access NHS dentistry, with rural and coastal communities facing the greatest barriers.
They say that families are travelling long distances for basic care, and children are experiencing significantly higher levels of tooth decay than the national average. According to government statistics, Boston has dental decay rates of 40 per cent in five-year-olds - well above the national averages of 27 per cent.
Despite this, the region remains one of the only parts of England without a dental school, limiting the ability to train and retain the workforce it urgently needs.
Rather than simply responding to shortages, the Strong Roots campaign proposes a new centre for oral health, that brings together education, research, and clinical practice to deliver long-term change.
The University of Lincoln is already laying those foundations, through new facilities, partnerships with the NHS, and the development of a pipeline of local talent ready to train and stay in the region.
From September 2026, Lincolnshire Institute for Dental and Oral Health will begin delivering new training pathways, including a BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy and foundation routes enabling dental nurses and other professionals to retrain and upskill.
The Institute has been designed to support workforce retention in underserved areas and builds on the University’s established credentials in training healthcare professionals and tackling rural and coastal health inequalities.
Members of the public are now being invited to visit the campaign website where they can watch the video, read the full Strong Roots manifesto, and importantly, sign the pledge and share their own statement of support.
Dr Jason Wong, Chief Dental Officer for England, said: “All the research suggests that having the training in the locations that need it most, attracts people to those roles in that area. That means a dental school would recruit from within Lincolnshire and that would be a gamechanger for the region.”
Professor Neal Juster, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “We should be training dentists where they are needed most. Strong Roots is about demonstrating how we fix dental access in rural and coastal Britain.
"Across Lincolnshire, we see the impact of limited access to NHS dentistry every day, so in March, we launched the Lincolnshire Institute for Dental and Oral Health, bringing together partners to begin building the workforce our communities need.
"The Strong Roots campaign builds on that foundation. It shows that where and how we train dentists matters as much as how many we train - helping improve access, tackle inequalities, and create a workforce rooted in local communities.
"We are ready to deliver. Strong Roots is an invitation to the public, partners and policymakers to back a sustainable solution for the future of NHS dentistry.”
Hamish Falconer, MP for Lincoln, said: “The University of Lincoln has a strong track record of delivering for our region - training healthcare professionals, investing in outstanding facilities like these, and working closely with NHS and civic partners to tackle health inequalities. It is a shining example of how a university can help make people’s lives better.
"Lincoln is uniquely positioned to serve not just our county, but the wider East Midlands and East of England - with strong clinical networks and deep reach into rural and coastal communities.
"We have the infrastructure. We have the partnerships. We have the political will across all parties.
"We are ready to go further. A full dental school right here would mean training dentists who are rooted in our communities from day one. We have the foundations. We have the talent. Now, we need the school to train the dentists our region deserves.”
Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, said: “Improving access to dental care is a priority for our communities, and the University of Lincoln’s proposal for a new dental school represents an important step forward. By training the next generation of dentists locally, we can help address workforce shortages and improve oral health outcomes across our area.
"I've been campaigning for a Lincolnshire dental school for some years, so it’s great to see the University making strong progress. I’ll continue to work closely with the University and support them in any way I can.”
Victoria Atkins, MP for Louth and Horncastle, said: “Improving access to dental care is essential for strengthening our NHS and ensuring patients receive timely treatment. A new dental school in Lincoln would play a vital role in training the next generation of dentists and helping to address long-standing workforce shortages across our region.”
The public can support the campaign by visiting www.lincoln.ac.uk/strongroots, signing the pledge, sharing their own message of support and backing Strong Roots for Oral Health.