Number of patients using NHS dentists at 10-year low

Londoners the least likely in England to have had an NHS dental check-up in past two years

ACCESS to NHS dentists is the worst it has been for a decade, figures suggest, with just half of adults undergoing regular checks. Statistics from NHS Digital showed that just 50.2 per cent of adults had seen a dentist in the past two years – a drop from 52.5 per cent less than a year ago.

Those in London were the least likely to see an NHS dentist, with just 44 per cent having had a check-up in the previous 24 months. People living in the North West were most likely, with 55.7 per cent having done so.

The figures also showed a significant rise in the amount patients spent on NHS dental treatment, as charges totalled £855 million in 2018-19, up from £813million the previous year.

Dr Dave Cottam, the chairman of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, said: “It’s hardly surprising that fewer patients than ever are making it to their NHS dentist. It’s the logical result of an underfunded system that effectively caps patient numbers, and that’s now fuelling a recruitment crisis across the service.”

More than four in 10 children had not seen an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months. Although the figure was a slight improvement on last year – up from 58.6 per cent to 59 per cent – experts said it remained “unacceptably high”, given that all children were entitled to free NHS dental checks.

Prof Michael Escudier, dean of the faculty of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “Although we’ve seen a slight increase in the number of children visiting a dentist over the last year, the number who did not attend remains unacceptably high. Regular visits ensure that a child’s oral health can be closely monitored as they grow up, and that any problems can be ... addressed at an early stage.

“An alarming number of children were admitted to hospital due to tooth decay in the past few years – especially when you consider that this is largely preventable by brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cutting the amount of sugar children eat, and visiting the dentist regularly.”

The statistics showed falling incomes for dentists for NHS work, with earnings dropping from £67,800 in 2008-09 to £59,700 in 2017-18. The British Dental Association said this amounted to cuts of more than a third when inflation was factored in.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We have more dentists working in the NHS and the number of children seen by a dentist increased last year. We are working closely with NHS England to support hardworking dentists and improve access to dental services across the country, as well as improving oral health as part of a wider focus on prevention in the Long Term Plan.”