The Oral Health Foundation has welcomed a new government announcement confirming that care leavers will receive free NHS dental services, prescriptions and eye tests until their 25th birthday.
The measures are intended to address health inequalities faced by young people leaving care, who are more likely to experience poor oral health and difficulties accessing dental services once statutory support ends at age 18. The policy forms part of a broader package aimed at improving health outcomes and life chances for those transitioning into independent adulthood.
Access to dental care has long been a challenge for care leavers, with costs, uncertainty over eligibility and problems registering with dentists often resulting in untreated conditions and avoidable pain. Extending free dental care is designed to remove a major barrier to early treatment.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said the move was about “dignity as much as dentistry,” calling it a significant step for young people who have faced persistent obstacles to care.
He added that the focus must now be on ensuring the policy delivers real access, so eligible young people can obtain the dental care they need as they build independent lives.