New minister for dentistry selected by government

The Department of Health has announced the appointment of David Mowat as the new minister for dentistry,

Mr Mowat will oversee the dental sector as part of his responsibilities as parliamentary undersecretary of state for community health and care, which also encompass adult social care, carers, community services, cancer, dementia, learning disabilities and all elements of primary care.

The MP for Warrington South previously worked as global managing partner for consultancy firm Accenture and as chairman of the charitable organisation Fairbridge. His previous government role was that of parliamentary private secretary to the financial secretary to the Treasury from 2012 to 2016.

Mr Mowat has also sat on the Board of the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology and was a member of the Public Accounts Committee. He contributed to inquiries on improving access to mental health services, NHS specialised services, personal budgets in social care, and discharging older people from acute hospitals.

The British Dental Association (BDA) has called on the new minister – appointed as part of prime minister Theresa May's Cabinet reshuffle – to address a number of key issues affecting the sector, including the need for regulatory and contract reform.

Additionally, the BDA is keen to see new preventative programmes launched to tackle the prevalence of tooth decay among children in the UK.