Is the NHS dentistry model broken, and why are 27 million people left without care?

NHS dentistry, far from being free and available to all in line with NHS principles, is difficult or impossible to access for many people, including children and those notionally eligible to receive free dental treatment.

People face a postcode lottery over whether NHS dental support is available in their area and many people delay going to a dentist, going far less often than they should and end up in a lot of pain – and in hospital costing the NHS a huge amount of money.

The National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) recommend two years as the maximum period of time anyone should go without seeing a dentist, with more frequent visits being appropriate for some people.

Yet in the two years to the end of March 2024 27 million adults and nearly 5 million children in England did not see an NHS dentist.

There is huge variation across the country – with more rural and less well off areas being less well provided for. In some parts of England only 1 in ten people can get an NHS appointment.

No wonder then that many people are trying out risky “DIY Dentistry” on themselves and that we are seeing so many emergency dental admissions to hospitals.

The problem with the current system is that the system of fixed prices, subsidies and restrictions imposed through the NHS contract doesn’t work for large numbers of dentists – who then end up withdrawing from NHS work entirely.

At Policy Exchange we have looked at attempts at reform to the current system and at other dental systems around the world and are proposing an alternative which would be a potential benefit to 32 million people not currently benefiting from NHS general dentistry.

We are proposing that all adults be given a £150 dental voucher which they can either take to any dental professional to use towards the costs of treatment or to a dental insurer to pay for a policy.

At the same time we are proposing that all dentists should be required to provide dental treatment to children free at the point of use, reimbursed at the current NHS rates.

These measures would encourage people to go to a dentist earlier for a check-up, helping to spot dental problems early and to stop them getting worse.

It would mean that millions of people who are getting no NHS dental support at all could save hundreds of pounds each year.

It would keep people out of hospital and help to reduce wider strain on the NHS and avoidable pain and suffering – including in cancer treatment, where dentists can play a big role in early diagnosis.

And it would mean that thousands more dentists would be available to everyone.

There is strong cross-party support for these proposals – backed by former Health Secretary Sir Sajid Javid and a number of Labour and Conservative MPs - based on a clear recognition which is shared by much of the profession and amongst the public at large of the need for action to improve NHS dentistry.

We hope that the new model proposed in this report is picked up by politicians willing to take the decisive action we need to improve our national dental health.

____________________________

Gareth Lyon is Head of Health & Social Care at Policy Exchange

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk