Alert issued as dental check ups in north Kirklees fall

The British Dental Association said patient access across England has “fallen off a cliff” since March, warning tens of millions of patients could lose out on dental care.

Figures from NHS Digital show 81,032 adults were seen by a dentist in NHS North Kirklees CCG in the two years to the end of June – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s recommended longest interval between check-ups.

This was 2% fewer than had been seen in the two years to the end of March – around the time the vast majority of dentists were forced to close because of the coronavirus lockdown.

Routine dentistry was largely suspended in England between March 25 and June 8, with 600 NHS urgent dental care centres remaining open in their place.

But the British Dental Association warns the latest statistics do not fully show the “unprecedented fall in access” driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The BDA said practices face significant barriers to expand capacity, warning tens of millions of patients in England will effectively lose access to dental services unless current regulations evolve.