Rishi Sunak promises to 'restore' NHS dentistry as he admits patients can't get the 'care they need'

Rishi Sunak has pledged to end the NHS dentistry crisis which has some people pulling their teeth, intensifying his battle with Liz Truss for number 10.

A staggering 9 out of 10 dental practices are believed to reject new patients, leading to "DIY dentistry". ' a health official warned - a grim situation blamed on a chronic lack of funding.

Mr. Sunak unveils a five-point plan to save the service, without acknowledging any responsibility the Tories might take for what he calls "unprecedented pressure" on dentistry.

It would introduce ring-fenced funding, health checks in primary schools, better contracts to prevent dentists from going private, mobile dentists in rural areas and a reshuffle of t rain.

The plan marks a change from a campaign to the Conservative leadership focused on tax cuts and hardline policies on migrants, in which struggling public services barely figured.

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