Philip Dunne today kept up the pressure over the Government health cutbacks after it was revealed that many children in Shropshire are being denied dental braces and other corrective treatment on the NHS.Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, today kept up the pressure over the Government health cutbacks after it was revealed that many children in Shropshire are being denied dental braces and other corrective treatment on the NHS.

Due to NHS cuts, orthodontists are now having to turn down more than 7,000 children and teenagers every month. This has led to parents having to pay up to £4,500 for a set of braces.

According to the British Orthodontic Society, waiting lists for orthodontic treatment are also soaring, with Shropshire and the West Midlands being amongst the worst hit. The problem has not been helped by the new dental contracts which came into force in April.

Mr Dunne said: "This is yet another example of Gordon Brown's NHS cuts. The Government is under-funding orthodontists, leading to more than 20% of children who should be treated under the NHS being refused.

As usual, it will be the vulnerable in society that will suffer. Many people will not be able to afford to go private and pay thousands of pounds for a set of braces. It is an appalling record of failure, especially given the extra billions of pounds the Government has poured into the NHS."