Four-year waits to register with NHS dentist revealed

People across Devon and Cornwall are often waiting around four years to register with an NHS dentist, according to information collected by an integrated care board (ICB).

A paper in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly noted “people waiting an average of 1,441 days to register with a dentist”, which equates to about three years and 11 months.

A spokesperson for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB said: “We are implementing a range of measures locally to address national pressures on NHS dentistry.

“This includes commissioning additional urgent care and stabilisation services, operating an emergency dental service to deliver 20,000 appointments a year, an extensive schools’ dental education programme, free dental treatment for local fishing communities, and a pilot which is helping to retain NHS treatment for children and other vulnerable patients and is treating some of those who have been waiting the longest.”

The British Dental Association said four-year waiting periods are “not unheard of” and it estimates unmet need for NHS dentistry now stands at 13 million, or more than one in four of the adult population. NICE recommends adults should have oral health reviews every two years.

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Source: HSJ, 9 October 2024