Millions of people in England are left without access to dental care, with one in eight unable to secure a dentist, according to the latest figures from the ONS Health Insight Survey.
The survey revealed that 12.2% of England’s population—approximately 5 million people—do not have a dentist. Meanwhile, only 52.8% (21.2 million) reported having an NHS dentist. A Liberal Democrat analysis found that in December alone, 140,526 people sought treatment without a regular dentist, but 94.1% of them were unable to access NHS care.
The grim reality saw over 1,500 of these patients resorting to A&E visits. However, the vast majority—79.7%, or nearly 112,000 people—reported they could not receive the treatment they needed.
This crisis is underscored by a Mirror investigation that revealed 96% of dental practices in England are not accepting new adult patients. The newspaper’s “Dentists for All” campaign highlights the devastating impact of funding cuts and a flawed payment model that has driven many dentists to the private sector.
The British Dental Association (BDA) warns that the crisis is even worse than reported, with some practices facing waiting lists of up to a decade. In extreme cases, individuals are resorting to pulling out their own teeth due to a lack of care.
Calls for Immediate Reform
Helen Morgan, Health and Social Care spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats, criticized the government’s inaction, stating:
“As more patients are forced into dangerous DIY dentistry, it’s like pulling teeth to get ministers to act. This crisis cannot continue—urgent government intervention is needed to bring NHS dentistry back from the brink.”
Labour has pledged to address the crisis with 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments and a focus on recruiting dentists for underserved areas. The party has also vowed to renegotiate the NHS dental contract, which has been criticized for capping the number of procedures dentists can perform, limiting the number of NHS patients they can see.
However, the BDA expressed disappointment that Labour leader Keir Starmer’s recent “Plan for Change” failed to mention dentistry, despite its prominence in public health concerns. BDA Chair Eddie Crouch stated:
“For many families, NHS dentistry has ceased to exist. Government promises alone won’t restore care to millions. Only a clear, properly funded action plan can salvage this essential service.”
Government Response
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson acknowledged the system’s shortcomings:
“NHS dentistry is broken after years of neglect. Patients should not have to take matters into their own hands because of appointment shortages. This government is committed to rebuilding dentistry, starting with 700,000 additional urgent appointments and reforms to encourage more dentists to offer NHS services.”
While the government and opposition parties outline their plans, millions of patients remain caught in a system in urgent need of reform. The question remains whether promised changes will arrive in time to reverse the decline in NHS dental care access.
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