The British Dental Association (BDA) has issued a stark warning that despite a record number of dentists now registered in the UK, patients may find it increasingly difficult to secure NHS dental check-ups. New data from the General Dental Council reveals that 48,000 dentists were registered to work in the UK as of December 2025, a 3.4% increase year-on-year. However, the BDA argues that an influx of foreign-trained dentists will not resolve the nation's oral health crisis unless the Government significantly increases NHS funding for dental care.
Funding Shortfall Persists
The core issue, according to the BDA, is that the NHS dental budget has remained stagnant at around £3 billion for over a decade. When adjusted for inflation and population growth, this represents a real-terms cut of approximately £1 billion. As a result, the funding is now sufficient to treat only half of England's population. The proportion of the NHS budget allocated to dentistry has more than halved from 3.3% in 2010 to just 1.5% in 2024. England also invests significantly less per capita than other parts of the UK: £37 per person in 2023/24, compared to £52 in Northern Ireland, £56 in Wales, and £67 in Scotland.
Contract Flaws Drive Dentists Away
The BDA points to the flawed NHS dental contract as a key factor driving dentists to focus on private patients. Under the current system, dentists often make a loss when treating patients requiring complex care, leading many to reduce their NHS commitments. While Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised contract reforms, the BDA warns that without additional investment, any changes will merely be tweaks to a broken system. Eddie Crouch, chair of the BDA, stated: "The fundamental problem isn't the number of dentists we have - it's the fact they increasingly can't see a future in a failed, underfunded system. The Government is on a futile bid to fill a leaky bucket, when it really needs to get on and fix it."
Government Measures and Concerns
The Government has attempted to address the shortage by making it easier for foreign-trained dentists to work in the UK, including expanding registration exam capacity and introducing a provisional registration route. However, critics argue that this does not tackle the underlying funding issue. In 2025, for the first time, new joiners from abroad outnumbered domestically trained dentists. Nonetheless, the BDA estimates that restoring a fully universal NHS dental service for everyone in England who wants it would require an additional £1.5 billion annually, within the context of a total NHS budget exceeding £200 billion.
Impact on Patients
Most dental practices in England are no longer accepting new adult NHS patients, and reports of DIY dentistry, where people in pain resort to extracting their own teeth, have become widespread. The Government has announced extra urgent dental appointments for those in crisis, but MPs have been warned that this could push patients requiring routine maintenance care off dental practice books. Eddie Crouch, speaking at a parliamentary event chaired by the Mirror, explained: "This will make patients who are in need of the complex care... at least it will make those patients access the service a little bit easier. But the fundamental problem is there is no new investment with that. There are only so many seats on the bus."
Last month, over 1,300 dentists signed an open letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, demanding increased funding, which was handed in at Downing Street. The BDA continues to campaign for a reformed and properly funded NHS dental service to ensure all patients can access the care they need.
