How easy is it to find an NHS dentist? It depends where you live

The number of NHS dentist practices in England has been steadily declining over the past decade, with nearly 600 practices withdrawing from NHS work, according to analysis by the Nuffield Trust. The trend has been most pronounced in the South West and East of England, leading to growing inequalities in access to dental care. Currently, more than one in ten dental practices that once offered NHS care no longer do so, making it difficult for some communities to find appointments.

NHS dental activity is 8% lower than pre-Covid levels, and six in ten adults have not seen an NHS dentist in the past two years. In Cornwall, Devon, and Northamptonshire, over a quarter of practices that previously provided NHS treatment have ceased doing so, exemplifying the shift towards a two-tier system. NHS dental work is currently in decline, with ministerial pledges to address "dental deserts," but dentists argue that the existing arrangement is unsustainable, as it often results in loss-making work.

Alan, an 83-year-old resident of Somerset, has given up trying to find an NHS dentist, stating that getting an appointment near his home is impossible. The situation has reached a point where practices leaving NHS contracts little attention, but collectively, they contribute to the transformation of dentistry into a two-tier system.

The issue stems from government choices, warns the chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee, with the government needing to incentivize practices to return to NHS work and train more dentists in areas with limited NHS services.