A Suffolk MP will soon be meeting the head of a health service commissioning body to ensure everything was being done to prevent 'dental deserts' in the county.

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey is due to meet Ed Garratt, chief executive of the Suffolk and North Essex Integrated Care Board, following concerns about a lack of NHS dental care in the county.

Figures from the Local Government Association in October showed that Suffolk had some of the lowest NHS dentist numbers in the country, with the Mid Suffolk district having just 0.067 dentists per 1,000 population.

Earlier this week, the EADT reported how the Felixstowe practice A W Brown, in Victoria Street, had sent letters to NHS patients explaining that from April 1 they would no longer be able to access free care.

The letter cited a 'chronic lack of investment in NHS dentistry by successive Governments' as the reason for cutting the service.

East Anglian Daily Times: A W Brown Dental Practice in Felixstowe is no longer offering care to NHS patientsA W Brown Dental Practice in Felixstowe is no longer offering care to NHS patients (Image: Google Maps)

Rumours on social media also suggested that mydentist in Old Maltings Approach in Woodbridge no longer had an NHS dentist.

However, Ms Coffey said she had received written assurances from the manager of the Melton-based practice that it was committed to serving NHS patients.

There had been an issue with capacity, she added, but two new clinicians were set to join the team soon.

“It’s important for patients that MyDentist Woodbridge continues to provide NHS services and I thank them for their recent reassurance.

"The government has invested in dentistry and will continue to do so, including strengthening the contract with dentists.

"I will shortly be meeting the chief executive of the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, Ed Garratt, to ensure the local NHS is doing everything it can to avoid dental deserts in the county,” Ms Coffey said.