Finding an NHS dentist is like pulling enamel as sufferers resort to DIY dentistry

Dentistry is the hardest NHS service for patients to access, polling suggests.

A YouGov survey also found one in five people has experienced tooth pain for a long time, while 7% have attempted DIY dentistry. More that 70% described seeing the dentist as “difficult”, compared with 64% for GPs and 42% for A&E.

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association (BDA), which commissioned the polling, said: “NHS dentistry is now a top issue on the doorstep because millions have no options. Access and cost of living crises have collided, and government hasn’t stepped up to the plate.”

The Mirror has launched the Dentists for All campaign demanding NHS dentistry is rescued. Our online petition has now reached 221,000 signatures. The new poll also found 80% say the government should be doing more to improve NHS dentistry, and only 9% believe the government is doing all they reasonably can.

This total NHS dentistry budget for England has been cut by £1billion in real terms over the past decade due to inflation. The BDA estimates the budget is only enough to fund care for half the population in England. It is increasingly made up of the contribution from patient charges, which have gone up by 45% over the same period.

The government unveiled an NHS dentistry “recovery plan” this year but were forced to admit it came with no extra funding. Ministers admitted their estimate it would enable 2.5 million more appointments “has a high likelihood of not being reliable”.

The Women’s Institute has voted to support a campaign demanding the next government act to end the NHS dentistry crisis. Melissa Green, chief executive of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, said: “There is a chronic shortage and people are suffering serious health issues as a result.” The Conservative Party said: “The Conservatives are taking bold action to improve access to NHS dentistry.”