Dental charges and ongoing access problems have long pushed patients from high street dentistry to A&E services and General Practice. But access problems have escalated, with unmet need for dentistry now standing at 12m or one in four of England’s adult population. Medics are neither trained nor equipped to provide dental care, and these visits typically require a referral back to a dentist. While patients can receive pain relief or antibiotics for infection, they usually require an operative intervention.
Tooth decay remains the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children. The first oral health survey of five-year-olds published since lockdown showed no improvements in decay levels and a growing gap between rich and poor. Widening oral health inequality is set to pile more pressure across both primary and secondary care.
Ministers pledged a recovery plan for NHS dentistry in April 2023. Widely expected before the summer recess, it remained unpublished as parliament broke for conference season. In July, the Health and Social Care Committee concluded its inquiry, describing the state of the service as "unacceptable in the 21st century", and set out recommendations to the government for reforms, alongside a call for any recovery plan to be underpinned by necessary funding. The government’s response to the inquiry has been overdue since September 14, 2023.
Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said, “From GP surgeries to A&E, the crisis in NHS dentistry is piling pressure on every corner of our health service.
“Our medical colleagues can offer pain relief or antibiotics, but these won’t cure toothache.
“Patients in dental pain need a dentist, but any progress hinges on real reform and investment. Until then millions will have nowhere to go."