The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned unmet need for NHS dentistry in England is now at an all-time high, with official data showing no signs of recovery for the struggling service.

Analysis by the professional body of dental data in the recently published GP Survey by Ipsos shows:

Unmet need for NHS dentistry in England now stands at 13 million, or well over one in four of the adult population (28%).

This includes an estimated 5.6 million adults who tried and failed to secure and appointment in the last two years. Nearly as many have given up trying with 5.4 million not attempting to make appointments as they didn't think they could secure care. The cost of care pushed 1.25 million away, and around 780,000 indicated they were on waiting lists. While there has been some methodological change, with the survey moving to an online-first approach, this is clear growth from last year, when total figures stood at around 12 million.

Access problems predate COVID. Prior to the pandemic, unmet need for NHS dentistry hovered consistently at around 4 million or one in ten of the adult population. The professional body stress that the failure of dentistry to ‘bounce back' to pre-COVID levels reflects the lacklustre policies from the last government, which failed to tackle the discredited NHS contract fuelling workforce and access crises head on. Despite calls from the Health Committee and the Nuffield Trust for a fundamental break from this system of targets, the system has received little more than tweaks.

The BDA has been encouraged by the new Government's new policy to view the NHS as ‘broken', together with acknowledgement in early talks with Secretary of State Wes Streeting MP on the role the contract is playing in the current crisis. Dentist leaders have stressed the urgency here, pressing for a short-term rescue package to keep practices afloat, ahead of longer term reform of the contract.

Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee said: ‘NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist for millions across this country. A new government has inherited old problems, but luckily hasn't followed in its predecessor's footsteps by pretending this crisis has been solved.

‘These numbers are stark reminder we need urgency and ambition to save this service.'