Pressure is being exerted on the government to provide even more places for trainee dentists at Norfolk's new dental school - to increase the chances of people being able to access NHS treatment.
After years of campaigning, the government finally gave the go-ahead for 25 new dental training places at a new University of East Anglia dental school in Norwich.
Advocates of the school, which will take on its first students next year, have said it has the potential to help ease the situation which makes it impossible for many in Norfolk to get NHS dental treatment.
The thinking is that some of those who do their training at the new school - at the Edith Cavell building at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital - will go on to work as NHS dentists in Norfolk.
But the British Dental Association has warned the small numbers - and lack of reform for dental contracts - is unlikely to be a "silver bullet" to solve the crisis.
Waveney Valley MP Adrian Ramsay secured a debate on the state of dentistry in Parliament on Monday, when he pressed the government to do more.
He said: "I am delighted that, following many conversations, the University of East Anglia will begin training students from 2027.
"However, the truth is that, at UEA and nationally, not enough funded places are being provided.
"The previous government promised a 40pc increase in dental training places, but no funding was attached either for training those additional clinicians or for commissioning the NHS dentistry workforce that they would eventually join.
"The current government have announced further expansion of dental school places, which I welcome, but the funding remains inadequate."
The Green MP also called for the government to review and reform NHS dental contracts - the process by which dentists are paid for providing NHS treatment.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: "We are committed to reforming the dental contract within this Parliament, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, rewarding dentists fairly and ensuring that we use the skills of the whole dentistry family. We will publicly consult on future proposals."
He added: "We are absolutely committed to delivering a domestic pipeline of dentists. That is vital, but we know that it will take time."
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