Faculty of Dental Surgery launches manifesto for Scottish Parliament election
It demands action on the workforce, vaping, health inequalities, obesity and cancer.
The Faculty of Dental Surgery of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has launched its manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
The manifesto sets out five key proposals and includes evidence-based recommendations, and the potential impact on the public – particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The Faculty was established in 1982 to promote excellence in oral health through education, examination and engagement. Today, it has more than 8,000 Members and Fellows in more than 100 countries, helping to improve dental care throughout the world.
The manifesto’s five proposals are to:
1 Progress Dental International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from being Dental Therapists to Dentists
The current situation:
- Scotland is facing a significant shortage of dentists, yet it has a significant number of IMGs that are stuck unable to work as dentists in a bureaucratic and lengthy application process.
- There are many IMGs living and working in Scotland but are confined to working as dental therapists, or other non-dentist roles, which limits the type of procedures that they are allowed to carry out.
- It is crucial that we get these people that are able to work into the roles that they should be filling.
The Faculty’s asks are:
- For the Scottish Government to provide funding to support alternative routes for IMG registration
- Increase capacity and frequency of qualifying examinations
- Offer provisional registration and alternative pathways that allow IMGs to work under supervision sooner
- To streamline NHS Dental List Number inclusion, ensuring that the process of registering with the GDC and being added to the list is done promptly and smoothly.
2 Go further on tobacco and vaping
The current situation:
- The financial strain of smoking is significant on the NHS, with smoking estimated to cost NHS Scotland between £300-£500 million.
- Over the last few years, we have seen the rise of electronic cigarettes and vapes, and an increase in people who have not previously smoked taking up vaping, particularly young people.
- 18.8% of 11-17 year olds have tried vaping, and 7.4% vape regularly.
- The ban on single-use vapes has not had its desired effect and vape manufacturers have modified them to stay compliant but yet the prices remain affordable and the flavours remain appealing to young people.
The Faculty’s asks are:
- To ensure that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is not watered down and Governments stay strong on the issue.
- To educate children and young people of the dangers and harms of vaping.
3 Prioritise health inequalities
The current situation:
- Tooth decay is one of the most common oral diseases affecting children and young people in Scotland. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are disproportionately more likely to be admitted to hospital to have teeth extracted.
- Children from the most deprived areas have considerably poorer oral health outcomes, with data showing a 21.6% gap in decay-free status between most and least deprived areas for P7 children.
- Interventions such as Childsmile have helped to improve overall child oral health and reduced the inequality gap.
- Yet disparities also extend to access to dental care, with disadvantaged groups showing lower rates of dental check-ups and encountering barriers like language and awareness.
The Faculty’s asks are:
- To invest in prevention: re-orient healthcare systems to focus on preventative programmes and early intervention.
- To ensure equitable access to care.
- Target interventions proportionately: universal proportionalism- providing universal services but with more resources and support for populations with higher needs.
- To improve access to dentistry. Despite having 94.6% of the population registered with dentist, getting an appointment is extremely difficult particularly in areas of under-provision and in low socio-economic areas.
In order to maximise the impact of preventative measures, it supports:
- More targeted supervised-tooth brushing in childhood settings.
- Community-based fluoride varnish schemes.
- Integration of oral health into targeted home visits by health and social care workers.
- Targeted provision of toothbrushes and toothpaste by health visitors.
4 Take action on obesity and sugar
The current situation:
- Through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), the average sugar content in soft drinks has been reduced by 46% since the levy was introduced.
- The levy is associated with a 12.1% relative reduction in hospital visits for tooth decay in children. As well as a link to a reduction in obesity rates among young girls.
The Faculty’s asks are:
- Further restrictions on the marketing and advertising of unhealthy foods. This includes the restrictions of product marketing for HFSS products in public spaces and outdoor advertising.
- To see the government working with food producers to encourage them to reformulate their products to reduce fat, sugar and salt quantities.
- Run a national campaign to highlight the importance of diet and exercise for both physical and mental health. These should be targeted at young people to support early intervention, and those who are at risk of or have overweight and obesity.
- Improve the healthiness of food served in schools, hospitals and workplaces.
5 Increase awareness around head and neck cancers
Current situation
- Incidences of head and neck cancers are rising significantly, with a predicted 30% increase annually by 2030.
- Dentists are in a crucial position whereby they can detect these forms of cancer at an early stage. During a patient’s check-up dentists can perform routine screenings and refer patients with suspicious symptoms and lesions for further evaluation. This can also alleviate the pressure on general practitioners.
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common virus, which can usually be cleared by the immune system, but high-risk types can lead to cancers. HPV is a major cause of oropharyngeal head and neck cancers, and we are seeing a rise in these cases at an alarming rate. There is a vaccine that can protect people against these high-risk HPV types.
The Faculty’s asks are:
- For the Government to carry out a specific version of their ‘Be The Early Bird – Detect Cancer Earlier’ campaign targeting head and neck cancers. This should be predominantly targeted at the proportion of the public that do not go to the dentist regularly.
- To increase education around HPV and its connection to head and neck cancers.
- To ensure parents are provided with the necessary information about the vaccine and make it clear that is not only for female students.
- To reduce the disparity in vaccine uptake among pupils in the most deprived areas and those in the least deprived areas.
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