Lib Dem analysis revealed 4.5m children in England did not see an NHS dentist last year. The analysis showed tooth decay was the most common reason for hospital admission for children aged between 6 and 10 years old with over 100,000 children admitted to hospital with rotting teeth since 2018.

During a visit to Scotland, Davey said: 'It is a national scandal that children's teeth are left to rot and people are forced to carry out their own dental work. 

'It is time to end dental deserts after years of neglect by Conservative and SNP governments.

'In Westminster, the Conservative party has shown complete disregard for dental services, whilst the SNP record on the NHS continues to be shameful. 

'Today the Liberal Democrats are setting out a plan to bring back local NHS dentists across the UK, starting with ensuring free dental check-ups for children and young mothers.'

The Liberal Democrats 55% of children had not seen an NHS dentist in Norfolk in the past year, or 101,675, the highest proportion in the country. In Gloucestershire and Surrey two-thirds of adults had not seen an NHS dentist in the past two years.

The Liberal Democrats' plan would include introducing an emergency scheme to guarantee access to free NHS dental check-ups in England and Wales for those already eligible, including children, young mothers, those who are pregnant and those on low incomes. The party said it would also bring dentists back to the NHS from the private sector by fixing the broken NHS dental contract and using flexible commissioning to meet patient needs.

In Scotland, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have announced their own plans to overhaul the SNP's Recovery Plan, as well as boost the number of NHS dentists with a workforce plan.