Senedd members have added their voices to a growing chorus of cross-party calls for a dental school in north Wales amid concerns about NHS services vanishing.

Siân Gwenllian, who has been spearheading calls for a Bangor dental school, warned the system is in crisis with practices closing and constituents unable to access treatment.

She said her Arfon constituency has seen the challenges at their very worst, with only 36 per cent of treatment through the NHS in north Wales compared with 44 per cent for Wales as a whole.

The Plaid Cymru politician told the Senedd: “Of the dental surgeries in the Betsi area, 41 per cent… have vacancies for dental posts and that is 10% per cent higher than the average … for Wales.

“Over the past few years, more dentists have left than have joined. 15 per cent of dentists work solely for the NHS, which points to an increasing tendency towards privatisation in the service. So, simply put, the demand for NHS services is greater than the current supply.”

Leading a debate on a cross-party motion, Ms Gwenllian pointed to a report she commissioned on the case for training dentists in Bangor.

“It is a convincing case and such a school would be a very valuable addition,” she said.

“With a medical school already located in Bangor, the foundations have been laid and the time is right to establish a dental school.”

The Conservatives’ Sam Rowlands, who co-submitted the motion, said: “Dental services in north Wales are broken and they need to be fixed. It's not good enough at the moment.”

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth warned of a three-tier system: those who can access scarce NHS services, those who can afford private care and those who have neither option.

He said: “That's where we come to those people who are taking out their own teeth … which is becoming increasingly common – and children in particular and the poorest families are suffering – and our dental care as a nation is deteriorating.”

He pointed to Plaid Cymru’s 20-year campaign for a north Wales medical school: “Ministers in Labour Governments argued that there wasn't a case for a medical school, but we knew that there was, and I was very pleased to be able to see that being delivered recently.

“But let us not make the same mistake in terms of delay, delay, delay … with a dental school. We need to do this – the crisis is clear and this is an important part of the solution.”

Responding for the Welsh Government, Jeremy Miles acknowledged significant difficulties in north Wales, with a large number of practices reducing or returning their NHS contract.

Mr Miles said: “I have no doubt that a second facility to increase the number of dental undergraduates, dental therapists, dental hygienists and improve the dental workforce in Wales would have benefits in terms of clinical benefits but also economic benefits.”

Following the debate on 8 January, Senedd members backed the motion 29-0 with 17 abstaining in the non-binding vote.