Three in 10 adults have never attempted to get an NHS dental appointment, survey shows
Access to NHS dentistry continues to deteriorate in the UK, with new survey data showing that 29% of adults have never tried to get an NHS dental appointment. The figure has risen by 3% in the past year, underscoring the deepening crisis in NHS dental services.
The findings come from the Ipsos GP Patient Survey 2025, which received over 700,000 responses by April. Analysis by the British Dental Association (BDA) estimates that nearly 14 million adults are unable to access NHS dental services, including 5.7 million who tried and failed within the past two years.
Why many avoid NHS dental appointments
Among adults who had not tried to get an NHS dental appointment in more than two years:
- 26.7% preferred private dentists
- 26.2% believed NHS appointments were unavailable
- 18.8% felt they did not need care
- 5.6% considered NHS dental care too expensive
- 5.2% disliked going to the dentist
- 3.9% were already on a waiting list
Patient experiences with NHS dental services
Of those who successfully secured an appointment within the last two years, 84% contacted a practice they had visited previously. Encouragingly, seven in 10 patients reported a positive experience, with 42% describing it as very good and 28.8% as fairly good.
NHS dentistry ‘at death’s door’
The BDA warned that NHS dentistry is now facing an historic crisis, with access dropping sharply since before the COVID-19 pandemic, when only one in 10 adults struggled to get NHS care.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said:
“We’ll never make the shift from sickness to prevention when millions have given up even trying to access care. Our patients continue to face an historic crisis that requires a proportionate response from government. Ministers agree that NHS dentistry is at death’s door. But they don’t appear ready yet to invest in the rebuild. It will take both urgency and ambition to save NHS dentistry.”
With demand outstripping supply and workforce shortages persisting, experts warn that without immediate reform and funding, NHS dental services may collapse further, leaving prevention and essential care out of reach for millions.
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