Cost of living fuelling access ‘crisis’ in dentistry

The cost-of-living crisis is compounding a growing ‘crisis’ in dental care, a healthcare advocacy body has warned, with more and more people in England now struggling to access NHS dentistry, either because of a lack of options locally or because the cost is becoming unaffordable.

A survey by health and social care campaign body Healthwatch has found half (49%) of adults in England feel dental charges are unfair amid escalating living costs.

Health inequalities are widening as people in every part of the country struggle to pay for dental care, it has warned.

The poll of 2,026 adults in England found nearly half 41% said they found it difficult to book an NHS dental appointment, whilst one in five (20%) couldn’t access all the treatments they needed.

One in four (24%) said they had to pay privately to get all the required treatment they needed. One in six (17%) reported feeling pressured to pay privately when they booked their dental appointment. The same percentage (17%) said their NHS dentist had not explained the costs before starting treatment.

More than one in ten (12%) reported that their NHS dentist charged more for the treatments than the advertised NHS charges.

Almost a third (29%) of respondents said a lack of access to dental care led to more serious problems, making them feel anxious. Others said that a lack of timely dental care made it hard to eat or speak properly (16%) and made them avoid going out (14%).

The data also revealed a significant north-south divide regarding how affordable people find dental care. While one in five people (20%) living in the south of England said they could afford private dental care if they can’t find an NHS dentist, just 7% of those living in the north of England said the same.

Overall, 38% of the respondents felt they were less likely to visit a dentist, despite clinical guidelines recommending regular dental check-ups to keep people’s mouths healthy.

The findings come as more than 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year, according to data obtained by the Association of Dental Groups.

Louise Ansari, national director at Healthwatch England, said: “Access to NHS dentistry has been one of the most significant issues people have raised with us in the last two years. There is now a deepening crisis in dental care, leaving people struggling to get treatment or regular check-ups on the NHS.

“The shortage of NHS appointments is creating a two-tier dental system, which widens inequalities and damages the health of the most disadvantaged communities. With millions of households bearing the brunt of the escalating living costs, private treatment is simply not an option, and even NHS charges can be a challenge. This needs urgent attention if the government is to achieve its levelling up plan and tackle health disparities,” she added.