“Smiles at Sea” is levelling up in action, creating healthier happier communities

Neil Carmichael, Chair of the ADG has hailed the “Smiles at Sea” harbourside tour of Cornwall and Devon as an example of “levelling up health” in action and called on the Government to look to support more outreach programmes in reforming NHS dentistry. Joining the “Smiles at Sea” tour on its stop at Brixham Harbour […]
ADG welcomes Advancing Dental Care report – but there is an “elephant in the room”
The Association of Dental Groups has welcomed the publication of the Health Education England (HEE) Advancing Dental Care report. Sandra White, ADG Clinical Director said; “The engagement with key partners over the last three years is evident in the identification of key themes around flexible training, skill mix, continued learning, innovation, new routes into dental […]
ADG East of England “parliamentary champion” award for Peter Aldous MP

Neil Carmichael, Chair of the ADG has awarded Peter Aldous MP the first ADG “parliamentary champion” award in recognition of his work in advocating better access to dentistry for his constituents in Waveney and the East of England. Neil said “ADG members have been telling us that the hardest parts of the country for recruiting […]
New figures show workforce crisis as number of NHS dentists fall across the whole of England.
The Association of Dental Groups has responded to the publication of the Annual Report of NHS Dental Statistics for England 2020-2021 this week. The statistics reveal that overall, the number of dentists with NHS activity in England fell sharply to 23,733 – a decrease of 951 on the previous year. All NHS regions in England […]
Oral health in our coastal communities
Neil Carmichael, Chair of the ADG has responded to the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report on Health in our Coastal Communities published this week. “The Coastal Communities report confirms that coastal towns face many healthcare challenges, but it is important to remember that this includes dental public health. Our members have been telling us that […]
Dr Sandra White joins ADG as new Clinical Director

The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) is pleased to welcome Dr Sandra White as their new Clinical Director, starting this month. Until April this year Sandra was the national lead for dental public health at Public Health England (PHE), leading the team to improve oral health and reduce inequalities in England. Much of her clinical […]
Government must face up to the workforce challenge to stop “dental deserts” in England
Neil Carmichael, Chair of the ADG has responded to the Healthwatch England report on dentistry yesterday and this morning’s debate in the House of Commons on oral health and dentistry in England: “The two debates being held today in the House of Commons demonstrate that MPs from Bedford to Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight […]
ADG Chair welcomes new report calling for ‘’Armed Forces style” campaign to recruit more people into healthcare careers.
Neil Carmichael, Chair of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) has added his support to recommendations from a new report published today calling for a well-funded “Armed Forces” style recruitment campaign to inform and encourage people into the full range of healthcare careers, including dentistry. The report also recommends that the Government’s central funds for […]
Inequalities in oral health report confirms ‘’the urgent need to level up access to NHS dentistry”.
The Association of Dental Groups has welcomed the publication of Public Health England’s report on “Oral health inequalities in England”. The report reveals stark variations between regions in oral health and highlights a clear “north/south” divide. Standardised incidence of oral cancer was highest in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber regions. The […]
New figures show ‘’collapse in children’s dental visits as a consequence of the pandemic”.
The Association of Dental Groups has responded to this morning’s publication of the latest NHS Dental Statistics Biannual report for England 2020-2021. The statistics reveal that overall, 3.6 million children were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months up to 31st December 2020, which equates to 29.8% of the child population, link here. […]