NHS dentistry at ‘most perilous point’ in 75-year history

Urgent reforms are needed to “slow the decay of NHS dentistry”, as the department hits its most perilous point in its 75-year history”.

A report by the Nuffield Trust claims there is a "widespread crisis" in NHS dentistry due to a lack of funding, the pandemic and widening inequalities in oral health.

Analysis by the think tank found total spending for dental services was £3.1 billion in 2021 - 2022, a decline of £525 million since 2014 - 2015.

It added that the central budget had been “consistently underspent” in every year apart from 2020- 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the report, data from the British Dental Association (BDA) estimates NHS dentistry will underspend by about £400 million in 2022 - 2023.

It comes as the Labour Party revealed plans to introduce a dentistry rescue plan if they come into power at the next general election.

It pledged to fund dental practices to provide 700,000 more urgent appointments, as well as incentives for dentists to work in areas with the greatest need for their services.

They would also introduce supervised brushing in schools for three to five-year-olds, particularly in areas with high levels of childhood tooth decay.

The blueprint will cost £111 million, Labour said, and would be funded by abolishing the non-dom tax status.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Labour’s sums simply don’t add up – they have spent the same money on six other policies.”

Following the report, Nuffield Trust chief executive Thea Stein said: “We need to see immediate action taken to slow the decay of NHS dentistry, but it is increasingly clear that we can no longer muddle through with an endless series of tweaks to the contract.

“Difficult and frankly unpalatable policy choices will need to be made, including how far the NHS aspires to offer a comprehensive and universal service, given that it does not do so at present.

“If, as seems, that the original model of NHS dentistry is gone for good, then surely the imperative is to provide enough access for a basic core service for those most in need.”

The report had made a number of short and long-term recommendations for the Government to consider.

They include short-term resolutions such as increasing the intervals between routine check-ups to one year, recruiting dental therapists from the private sector, investing in preventative care for young people and targeted work in schools and care homes.

In the long-term, the Nuffield Trust called for the introduction of a fee-for-service payment model and student loans forgiveness scheme for dentists.

It also called for a “huge injection” of funding in NHS dentistry.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are making progress to boost NHS dental services and compared to the previous year 1.7 million more adults and 800,000 more children are receiving NHS dental care.

“We fund more than £3 billion of NHS dentistry a year and are taking preventative measures to improve oral health, such as expanding water fluoridation schemes. We have also announced plans to increase dental training places by 40% and recently ran a consultation to better utilise the skills of dental hygienists and therapists.

“Further measures to improve access and increase the number of NHS dentists through our dental recovery plan will be set out shortly."

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