A Mid and West Wales MS has called for an end to the “dental drought” in Wales, with thousands in rural Wales still languishing in waiting lists for treatment.

According to the latest waiting figures from the Powys Teaching Health Board, there are currently 4,295 adults still waiting to see a dentist.

Mid and West Wales MS and Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said: “The lack of available dentist services has effectively turned parts of Wales into a dental desert.

“People in Wales are desperately trying to access an NHS dentist with over 4,000 adults still waiting for access to care in rural Powys alone and even in urban areas like Cardiff, thousands are languishing on waiting lists.

“We want to end this drought in services by taking direct action in resolving this crisis, by recruiting and retaining more dentists and investing in local services.

“We have already successfully pushed for a national waiting list system, which will allow health boards to assign a patient to a dentist more quickly.

“The implementation of a national waiting list is just the first step in our journey of delivering a better dental service to the people of Wales.”