The Government has said an extra 700,000 urgent appointments will soon be available in England to help rebuild NHS dentistry.
On Friday, Labour announced that the rollout would begin from April and is part of the government’s manifesto pledge.
However, health workers insisted that ministers should have “fired the starting gun” last summer to help pull England out of the access crisis, as British Dental Association (BDA) analysis claimed the extra appointments translate to just two extra slots a month for each NHS dentist.
NHS England has written to integrated care boards (ICB) across the nation, instructing bosses to stand up thousands of urgent appointments over the coming year that will target so-called “dental deserts”.
More than 52,000 of the appointments, which will be accessible to patients in pain, have infections or require urgent repairs, are set to take place in the capital.
Jason Wong, chief dental officer for England, said: “Dentists are working hard to help as many patients as possible but too many people experience difficulties in accessing NHS dental services.
“It is vital that we do more to improve access – we are working with local systems to prioritise this, which includes providing 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments to help make it quicker and easier for those most in need to be seen and treated on the NHS and we are incentivising dentists to work in underserved areas so that all areas of the country can receive the care they need.”
Based on analysis by the BDA, the total unmet need for NHS dentistry in England amounts to 13 million people, or a quarter of adults.
“It’s progress, but the Government could have fired the starting gun on commissioning urgent care last summer,” said General Dental Practice Committee Chair Shiv Pabary, adding: “Action here will translate into just two extra slots a month for each NHS dentist. “Ministers must now confront the failed contract that’s left millions with no options.”
Recent data by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities also laid bare the worrying state of children’s oral health, as tooth decay is the top reason for children aged 5-9 years being admitted to hospital. More than a fifth of five-year-old school children have signs of dental decay, it said.
