By Regions NHS dentist shortage points to health crisis
A new report revealed Northern Lincolnshire has the smallest numbers of NHS dentists per head of population in England.
According to reports more than 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year.
The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) warned “dental deserts” were forming across England, which would make it more difficult for patients to get check-ups or receive treatment.
It said the figures pointed to a potential health crisis looming.
The Guardian reported cases of mouth cancer and diabetes could go undetected without check-ups.
North Lincolnshire is the worst-affected area in England with only 32 NHS dentists for every 100,000 people, North-East Lincolnshire has 37.
The number of NHS dentists fell nationally from 23,733 at the end of 2020 to 21,544 at the end of January this year.,
The Guardian estimated that around 4 million people had been left without access to NHS care as a result.
According to the ADG, the health service is facing the lowest levels of dentists it has had for a decade.
The decline in NHS dentists means “we are now seeing ‘dental deserts’ emerge across the country where there is almost no chance of ever seeing an NHS dentist for routine care”, according to the ADG report quoted in The Guardian.
A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said: “We’ve given the NHS £50 million to fund up to 350,000 extra dental appointments and we are growing the workforce so people can get the oral care they need – in December 2021, there were 264 more dentists registered than the previous year.”
“We are committed to levelling up health outcomes across the country – we have set up the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to address the long-standing health disparities and will publish a white paper this year to ensure everyone has the chance to live longer and healthier lives, regardless of background,” the DHSC spokesperson added.
The full report is due to be released on Tuesday, the ADG said.
