One in four adults in England still cannot access NHS dental care, despite small improvements under Labour, according to new analysis of the GP Survey by Ipsos. The data shows that 6.2 million people did not seek treatment in the past two years because they believed they could not get an appointment, an increase of 300,000 from 2025.
Overall unmet need fell slightly from 13.8 million in 2025 to 13.3 million in 2026, but dentists say progress is too slow. The British Dental Association (BDA) described the situation as "utterly obscene." Before the COVID-19 pandemic, around one in ten adults went without care; now it is one in four.
Patient's Eight-Year Ordeal
A woman named Anne, 58, from South Devon, waited eight years for treatment for badly broken teeth. In 2017, she broke a front tooth and damaged another in an accident, but her dentist referred her to hospital and could not treat her. During that time, the damage made it difficult to eat. As a teacher, she was told her appearance was not professional enough for face-to-face teaching.
Anne told the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO): "Had I known that the NHS would not deliver the care I needed for eight years, or if they had refused to provide the treatment, I could have changed my career to one where my appearance did not matter and saved up to pay privately for the treatment I needed."
The PHSO report noted that Anne "fell through the gaps" after being passed between local and hospital services. She added: "I've estimated that over 20 hours of NHS hospital consultant time has been spent on 'treatment planning' to deliver the two hours of treatment I actually needed. I seriously question whether that is an effective use of NHS resources."
Unmet Need and Financial Barriers
The analysis indicates that 4.9 million adult patients tried and failed to secure NHS care in the last two years, down 800,000 from the previous year. Among those with unmet need, 1.3 million said they could not afford NHS dental charges, which had increased under the previous Conservative government. A further 800,000 people are on an NHS waiting list at a dental practice.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: "These numbers reflect millions of desperate people across this country. The patients waiting years for basic care. The problems left to fester that could have been nipped in the bud. And those who will take matters into their own hands. It's utterly obscene."
GP Improvements Contrast with Dental Crisis
The GP Survey of 650,000 patients showed improvements in accessing primary care. Some 76.7% rated their overall experience as good in 2026, up from 73.9% in 2025. Online contact with practices rose to 30.8%, nearly double the 16.9% in 2024, after Labour required all GP practices to offer online booking.
Beccy Baird, senior fellow at the King's Fund thinktank, said: "These results clearly show the front door of the NHS is becoming easier to open." Health Secretary James Murray added: "This shows the hard work of NHS staff is helping more patients get the care they need."
However, dentistry remains in crisis. Labour promised to reform the NHS dental contract before coming to power in 2024, but a public consultation on contract reform has been downgraded to coming "in due course." The Treasury has refused to commit extra funding for fundamental reform.
Funding Shortfall and Political Context
NHS dental funding in England remained at around £3 billion for over a decade under the Conservatives, failing to keep pace with inflation and population growth. The BDA estimates this equated to a £1 billion real-terms funding cut. The proportion of the NHS budget spent on dentistry fell from 3.3% in 2010 to 1.5% in 2024.
Labour increased the annual budget to £3.5 billion for 2024/25 and promised fundamental contract reform by the end of this parliament. However, the BDA says an extra £1.5 billion a year is needed to restore NHS dentistry as a universal service. The government has introduced 50 new dentist training places and expanded places for overseas-trained dentists, as well as supervised toothbrushing in schools in deprived areas, resulting in 1.8 million additional courses of treatment.
Eddie Crouch added: "Andy Burnham speaks of a 'Makerfield Test', that he wouldn't sign up to policies that failed his own constituents. Well, his voters, and millions of others are being comprehensively failed by an NHS dental system designed in Westminster. Tweaks at the margins and unfunded gimmicks have barely scratched the surface. A new administration must deliver real reform."
