Figures reveal one in two children did not see an NHS dentist last year

24 Aug 2023

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Nearly half (44.2%) of children did not see an NHS dentist in the last year according to the latest figures
There were 1.4 million fewer treatments this year for children by NHS dentists than prior to the pandemic, a drop of 12.4%
The total number of treatments has fallen by 6 million when compared to before the pandemic, a fall of 15.4%
Patients are paying an extra £100 million compared to last year despite fewer treatments on 2019/20 levels, that is a 16.7% increase in charges

Nearly half (44.2%) of children did not see an NHS dentist in the last year, figures released by the NHS today (24th August) show.

There have been 1.4 million fewer, or a 12.4% fall, in NHS dental treatments for children delivered this year compared to before the pandemic. The total number of treatments for children in the last year was 10.2 million, down from 11.6 million in 2019/20.

The NHS recommends that under-18s see a dentist at least once a year because their teeth can decay faster, compared to two years for adults. Tooth decay is also the leading cause of hospital admissions for children aged 6-10. Despite this, over 600,000 fewer children saw an NHS dentist last year compared to 2019.

Overall there have been a staggering 6 million fewer treatments delivered last year compared to the year before the pandemic, a drop of 15.4%. The total number of treatments last year fell from 38.4 million in 2019/20 to 32.5 million.

Despite fewer treatments, patients are paying more, shelling out an extra £100 million for care when compared to only last year, with the charges increasing from £646 million to £753 million. That is a rise of 16.7%.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency rescue plan for NHS dentistry including spending the estimated £400 million of funding that went unspent in the last financial year to boost the number of appointments.

The party is also calling for reform of the NHS dental contract to create more appointments, teeth cleaning programmes in schools and early years settings as well as the removal of VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

“It is absolutely scandalous that this Conservative government’s mismanagement of the NHS has left millions of children waiting in pain, unable to see a dentist.”

“Wherever you look, health services are crumbling and struggling to keep up with demand.

“Every parent knows how important it is to ensure that their children can see a dentist when they need to. The fact that Ministers are failing to deliver this is completely unacceptable.

“This has to act as a wake-up call for the government. A rescue package for dentistry is urgently needed. That means reforming NHS dentistry to boost the number of appointments, teeth cleaning programmes in schools and early years settings as well as the removal of VAT on children’s toothbrushes and toothpaste.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The latest NHS figures can be found here.

A table of statistics used in the release can be found here.