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To: Keir Starmer, John Swinney, Eluned Morgan, Michelle O'Neill

End the Cleft Dental Care Crisis – Guarantee NHS Dentistry for People Born with a Cleft

The petition has been handed in and we are moving to the next stage of our campaign.

We are calling on the governments to end the #CleftDentalCrisis by:

  • Improving Access: Guarantee lifelong NHS dental care for people born with a cleft.
  • Improving Training: Ensure every dentist receives cleft training at undergraduate level and through mandated ongoing development.
  • Improving Care: Strengthen multi-disciplinary working so dentistry and orthodontics are integrated in cleft treatment pathways.
  • Improving Transparency: Commit to regular monitoring and reporting on dental access for priority groups, including cleft.

Dental care is not optional – for the cleft community, it is essential. It is time to act and fix the #CleftDentalCrisis.

Why is this important?

Cleft is for life – and so are the complex dental issues that often come with it. Yet people born with a cleft lip and/or palate are disproportionately unable to access the dental care they need. In some cases, they are even explicitly denied treatment because of their cleft. 

Being born with a cleft significantly increases the likelihood of dental problems. Children with a cleft are around one-third more likely to have missing teeth, decay or fillings, and adults are around one-quarter more likely compared to the general population. 

Despite this, CLAPA’s survey shows: 

  • People with a cleft are twice as likely to have issues accessing dental care. 
  • 42% have experienced inadequate care due to lack of training. 
  • 38% cannot afford treatment linked to their cleft.
  • Over 7% have been explicitly denied treatment because of their cleft. 

This is unacceptable.
United Kingdom

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Updates

2025-10-23 11:08:35 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2025-10-22 18:43:15 +0100

500 signatures reached

2025-10-22 13:44:15 +0100

100 signatures reached

2025-10-22 13:19:03 +0100

50 signatures reached

2025-10-16 09:05:34 +0100

25 signatures reached

2025-10-15 15:25:44 +0100

10 signatures reached