The UK is rapidly heading for a dentistry crisis, with the number of NHS dentists now at its lowest level for a decade and rising costs, even on the NHS, forcing a quarter of patients to delay treatment or avoid it altogether.
The warnings from the British Dental Association (BDA) and private healthcare provider Unum are at odds with government claims that there are now more NHS dentists and that NHS dentistry is recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
The BDA has argued the £3bn dental budget has failed to keep pace with inflation and population growth over the past decade.
A freedom of information request from the NHS Business Services Authority showed that just 23,577 dentists performed NHS work in the 2022/23 financial year, down 695 on the previous year, and over 1,100 down on numbers pre-pandemic. Figures have not been this low since 2012, the BDA said.
Yet, prime minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly argued that there are now 500 more NHS dentists practising than before the pandemic.
Equally, in evidence in April to an inquiry into the state of NHS dentistry by the Health and Social Care Select Committee, health minister Neil O’Brien argued the service was on the road to recovery following the pandemic.
Dental health
Cost of living fuelling access ‘crisis’ in dentistry
The BDA has also pointed to a recent survey it carried out of dentists in England that revealed half (50.3%) had reduced the proportion of NHS work they did by more than a quarter since the start of the pandemic.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) indicated that they planned to reduce the amount of NHS work they undertake in the year ahead.
“Government needs to drop the spin, accept the facts, and provide a rescue package to keep this service afloat,” said the BDA’s general dental practice committee chair Shawn Charlwood.
“We face an access crisis, and with hundreds of millions set to be pulled away, funds must be put to work solving these problems,” he added.
Separately, Unum UK has argued that it has seen UK dental claims soar by 37% over the past year. NHS dental costs are outstripping pay increases (8.5% versus 5.9%), leading to a quarter (25%) of patients either delaying or even avoiding NHS treatment because of the rising cost of dental treatment charges.
A knock-on effect has been more workers now relying on support from employers to help fund dental care, it has added.
Unum Dental’s most recent claims data showed an 11% increase in the number of claims in 2022 compared with the previous year, with the value of those claims also increasing by 37% to just over £24m.
This equated to more than £113 per claim on average, up from just under £92 in 2021, or an increase per claim of 23%. The rising cost of dental treatment was evident in the fact the growth in the cost of claims outstripped growth in volume, Unum argued.
John Hyde, chief marketing officer at Unum UK, said: “The provision of dental services isn’t just necessary for oral health, but it is vital for the prevention, detection, and treatment of serious diseases such as mouth cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
“Poor oral hygiene can even contribute to heart disease. Even leaving aside the discomfort people live with suffering from dental problems they cannot afford to get fixed, the wider health ramifications make being able to afford dental treatment vital for everyone.
“Following the recent increases to NHS dentistry costs, employee dental policies can offer a lifeline for those already struggling in the cost-of-living crisis. Employers have an opportunity here to help ensure employees and their loved ones have access to timely treatment to help maintain good oral health,” Hyde added.
