Millions of Britons lack regular check-ups with an NHS dentist (Image: Getty Images)
Soaring numbers of people who have trouble with their teeth are turning up at accident and emergency departments amid rising concern about lack of access to NHS dentists.
Last year, more than 73,000 people went to A&E for help with dental issues, up from 60,330 in 2020-21.
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This has triggered warnings of a “crisis in dentistry” which is piling pressure on the creaking NHS.
Rupert Lowe, a Reform UK MP, claimed that “large swathes of the country are now dental deserts,” adding: “We need a comprehensive national plan to tackle the shortages, including training more dentists domestically and doing more to ensure British dentists don’t emigrate.”
The British Dental Association (BDA) warns that “unmet need” is at an “all-time high” and a quarter of the adult population in England could be unable to get the care they need.
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The BDA also warns that both GP services and A&Es are under pressure and that medics are neither trained nor equipped to provide dental care.
Eddie Crouch, the association’s chairman, said: “The crisis in dentistry is piling pressure on every corner of our NHS because millions have nowhere to turn. The Government pledged to save this service, and that promise must be kept.”
Dr Nigel Carter, of the Oral Health Foundation, warned that “people are in pain” and this is “not acceptable”. He cautioned that here is “no easy solution to dental deserts” because it “can take five years before a dentist graduates”.
He said: “We urgently need to improve access to dentists by expanding NHS dental services, incentivising dentists to practise in underserved areas, and investing in preventive care initiatives.
"Failure to act will only exacerbate the strain on our emergency services and compromise public health.”
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The Nuffield Trust warned last year that “full, universal access to NHS dentistry has probably gone for good”.
The NHS says people with “good oral health” should have a dental check-up once every 12 to 24 months. But in the two years to the end of March, just four out of 10 adults in England had seen an NHS dentist.
Describing the situation in his Great Yarmouth constituency, Mr Lowe said: “Constituents of mine have to travel hours to find an available dentist – it is not good enough. Growing numbers are presenting in A&E with dental problems, because they are unable to find help at an earlier stage.
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“That consumes time and resource of hospitals, when the issue could have been tackled in a routine check-up. We desperately need a proper long term strategy to reverse this depressing decline.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “Rebuilding NHS dentistry is a priority for this government, but it will take time to construct an NHS dental sector that is fit for the future.
"We will start with an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments to help those who need it most, and we will also reform the dental contract to encourage more dentists to offer NHS services to patients.”