The lack of dental work being carried out under the NHS is forcing more patients to attend hospital for emergency dental treatment, the Conservatives have claimed.
According to official figures obtained by the Tories, more than 22,000 people had to be admitted to hospital for emergency treatment last year.
In total there were 22,058 hospital admissions for dental problems in England between 2007 and 2008, representing a one per cent rise on the 21,801 the previous year, and costing the NHS around £13 million.
The figures also revealed that just under a quarter of all emergency admissions (5,486) were children - also a one per cent increase on the previous year - and that over three quarters (18,063 people) were admitted via A&E, up 2 per cent from 2006-07.
In addition, a further 1,100 people were forced to go to their local GP with dental problems, a 5 per cent rise on the previous year.
Tory health spokesman, Andrew Lansley, claimed the figures, from the NHS Information Centre, reflect the difficulty patients have in accessing NHS dentists .
"These figures are further evidence of Labour's appalling failure on NHS dentistry," he said. "For years now many people have been simply unable to see an NHS dentist and almost a million more have lost access to their dentist since Labour's new contract was introduced in 2006.
"Despite the overwhelming evidence that their policies are doing more harm than good, Labour Minister's heads are stuck firmly in the sand, meaning more people are now resorting to emergency treatment in hospital rather than regular access to an NHS dentist ."
"A Conservative government would cut out the waste and bureaucracy in NHS dentistry and restore access to an NHS dentist to the million who have lost one under Labour."
The party highlighted a recent Citizens Advice study that found that 7.4 million Britons have not been to an NHS dentist since April 2006 due to difficulties in finding one.
