Six in 10 people seeking dental treatment across England feel pressurised to go private as more than 2,000 dentists have ditched NHS work in a year.
Significant numbers are having to pay privately to recieve the treatment they need, and the data indicates people in poorer Northern communities are most adversely affected by falling NHS coverage.
A poll of 2,026 adults by Yonder Data Solutions on behalf of independent statutory body Healthwatch found 17% felt pressured to pay privately when they booked their dental appointment, with the same percentage claiming their NHS dentist did not explain the costs before starting treatment.
The research also showed one in four (24%) respondents said they had to pay privately to get all the required treatment.
More than one in ten (12%) reported that their NHS dentist charged more for the treatments than the advertised NHS charges and nearly half (49%) of respondents felt NHS dental charges were unfair.
Four in 10 (41%) found it difficult to book an NHS dental appointment, while one in five (20%) could not access all the treatments they needed.
Almost a third (29%) of respondents claimed a lack of access to dental care led to more serious problems which made them feel anxious. Other respondents said that a lack of timely dental care made it hard to eat or speak properly (16%) and made them avoid going out (14%).
North-South and economic group divides
The poll also indicated a divide in groups that are able to afford private dental treatment.
People from social economic group (SEG) A, including high-ranking managerial, administrative and professional roles were found to be six times more likely to be able to pay for private dental care if they could not find an NHS dentist to treat them than people from SEG E, a group which includes pensioners, low-paid workers and unemployed people on state benefits – 48% and 8% respectively.
But the data also pointed to a significant North-South divide regarding how affordable people find dental care.
While one in five people (20%) living in southern England said they could afford private dental care if they cannot find an NHS dentist, just 7% of those living in northern England said the same.
Overall, 38% of those polled felt they were less likely to visit a dentist, despite clinical guidelines recommending regular dental check-ups to maintain oral health.
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.
“We are once again calling on the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England for greater ambition and urgency from NHS dental reform plans to create a fair and inclusive dental service. We strongly recommend that a new dental contract is in place before Integrated Care Systems take on formal responsibility for dentistry from next April.”
Shawn Charlwood, chairman of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, added: “For over a decade this service has been running on empty, our patients paying more just so the Treasury can pay less.
“Choices made by government mean dentists are now walking away from the NHS, while millions go without the care they need. A problem made in Whitehall needs to be fixed in Whitehall, with real reform and fair funding.”
Dentists ditching NHS work
The findings follow data obtained by the Association of Dental Groups which revealed more than 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year.
The clinical commissioning group area of England with the lowest number of NHS dentists per 100,000 of population was North Lincolnshire with 32 NHS dentists per 100,000 population.
This was followed by North East Lincolnshire with 37 NHS dentists per 100,000 people, East Riding of Yorkshire with 37, Lincolnshire with 38, Norfolk & Waveney with 38, North Staffordshire with 40, Portsmouth with 42, Halton with 42, Stoke on Trent with 43, and NE London with 43.
Neil Carmichael, chairman of the ADG, said: “Dental deserts not only stretch across the whole of the East of England from East Yorkshire, through Lincolnshire and down to Norfolk but are now emerging in many other red wall constituencies that the government wishes to level up.
“Our fears of an exodus from NHS dentistry are proving to be founded and the number of NHS dentists working in England is now at the lowest level for a decade.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to reform of the recruitment and registration of overseas dentists – what needs to follow is NHS dental contract reform and investment in our future domestic workforce – only when this happens will we have a chance of tackling the oral health inequalities of England.”