A petition has been launched for a dental school in Bangor.

Arfon's Member of the Senedd, Siân Gwenllian, announced the petition at a Cardiff conference for Welsh dentists, hosted by Y Gymdeithas Ddeintyddol (The Welsh Dental Association).

The petition follows the release of a report commissioned by Ms Gwenllian, titled ‘Filling the gaps: The case for training dentists in Bangor.’

The report, presented at a special event in September, outlines the educational, health, and economic benefits of establishing a fully functioning dental school at Bangor University.

The proposal has received backing from university representatives, local dentists, and health board officials.

If approved, the new dental school would become Wales' second facility of its kind, aimed at addressing the dental crisis by expanding the workforce.

Ms Gwenllian recently led a Senedd debate on the issue, urging the Welsh Government to act on the report's findings.

She gained the support of MSs from the Conservatives and Labour.

However, despite acknowledging the report as ‘well-researched,’ the Cabinet Secretary for Health stated that the Welsh Government could not finance the project.

Ms Gwenllian said: "In a report by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales published last week, one of the main health bodies in Wales claims that 'patients face delays in getting dental care, with many dental practices finding it difficult to meet the demand.'

"It also states that delays in getting dental appointments can lead to minor concerns developing into a more complex problem, which requires more invasive and costly treatments.

"This underlines the need to train more dentists in Wales.

"Although the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales has said this week that he supports the idea in principle, it was frustrating to hear the Cabinet Secretary for Health reject the plans for fiscal reasons."

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She added: "That’s why I am launching a petition to show the breadth of support locally by constituents and dental professionals alike for establishing a school of dentistry in Bangor."

Ms Gwenllian was also invited to present the report’s findings at a recent conference for Welsh dentists, where she said the response was "enthusiastic."

She concluded: "I’m fully aware that training is only part of the solution, but it is an essential part of it.

"Therefore, I urge everyone who supports the principle of training more dentists, and doing so in Bangor, to sign my petition.

"Together we can see this campaign through and make a tangible difference to the dental crisis."

You can sign the petition at siangwenllian.wales/deintyddol-deiseb-dental-petition.