London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Patients struggling to get NHS dental care across England, says watchdog

Patients struggling to get NHS dental care across England, says watchdog

Dentists warn of rise in problems including oral cancer as Covid and exodus of EU workers fuel crisis

Patients are facing a hidden national dentistry crisis, fuelled by the pandemic, that will lead to a rise in oral cancer in coming months and years, dentists and patient advocates say.

People who need urgent dental treatment are struggling to find any NHS treatment in all parts of England, according to Healthwatch, the independent patient watchdog. Senior dentist leaders say surgeries are being incentivised not to deal with the most serious cases and that the profession has been affected by EU dentists leaving the UK.

Nine in every 10 calls to Healthwatch Cumbria are from someone trying to find an NHS dentist, a problem mirrored in most parts of the country, the organisation said. Last year the number of calls and complaints about dentistry rose by 452%. Before Covid-19, one in 10 people could not access dental services. “Since the pandemic, we have been hearing about access to dentistry from people in all parts of the country, and I think that’s quite a significant change,” said Imelda Redmond, national director of Healthwatch. Previously, there were hotspots such as Hull and south-west England with particular shortages, she said. “Now access is an issue everywhere.”

Paul Mitchell, a 48-year-old office manager from Wimborne in Dorset, had a painful two months after a crown on his front tooth came loose while eating a sandwich. He paid £110 for a temporary crown, but was told a replacement would cost £2,000.

“I spent the next week ringing every dentist in Dorset and no one would see me on the NHS,” he said.

He developed an abscess and had to take three courses of antibiotics to deal with the infection. Other private dentists quoted him £3,000. He eventually gave up on the NHS and has paid £700 – a substantial part of his monthly salary – for treatment that is due to end next week.

“I was eating soup for weeks. It was the only thing I could eat because I couldn’t open my mouth to chew – it was too painful,” he said. “What I struggle with is that it’s not a problem if you pay. If you go private, they’ve got no problem seeing you. In my experience, the NHS dental service doesn’t exist.”

After the lockdown began last March, dentists in England were shut until 8 June. Urgent dental-care hubs were set up by April, but the range of treatments was limited, Redmond said, with patients offered extractions rather than treatment that might save a tooth.

The result was 19m fewer NHS dental procedures by the end of October, according to the British Dental Association. Ian Mills, dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practice, the membership body for dentists, said there was still a substantial backlog. “We’re still operating at a fraction of our normal capacity,” he said. “We need to accept that in the current circumstances we need to prioritise the care that we have available to deliver.”

Although dentists want to treat those most in need, they may be penalised if they do, Mills said.

Dentists are paid by the NHS according to a points system, but may get the same number of points for someone needing three hours of treatment as they would for another patient needing 15 minutes, he added.

If dental practices do not hit their target, they risk losing a substantial part of their NHS funding. Most dental practices have a mix of NHS and private patients and have faced the same financial difficulties as other businesses during the pandemic, Mills said.

The lack of access could have serious consequences for some people.

“There’s a group with high needs who need regular care and regular support to maintain their oral health, and if they haven’t been seen for 12 to 18 months, they’re the ones that start having real problems,” Mills said. “They start having abscesses, they need emergency care, they might need to go to hospital, they will lose teeth. And some will get oral cancer.”

A recruitment crisis is compounding the problem of access, according to Neil Carmichael, the chair of the Association of Dental Groups.

“We’ve got a big recruitment problem, and this is going to get even bigger as a result of Covid,” he said. “We need to double the number of dental-school places. And Brexit is also looming into view, because a large number of practising dentists are from the EU. Some of them are going back and not many are coming here. So we need to extend mutual recognition for dentists.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
×