Urgent dentistry: why transparency and long-term reform are still needed

The Government has announced new measures to improve access to urgent NHS dental care, including higher payments for dentists providing emergency and complex treatments. While this may help ease pressure in the short term, evidence from Healthwatch shows that recent changes have not yet addressed the underlying problems facing NHS dentistry.

People continue to tell us they are unable to register with an NHS dentist or are waiting months for routine appointments. As a result, urgent dental care is increasingly being used to treat problems that could have been prevented or managed earlier. National data reflects this trend, with 10% fewer adults having seen an NHS dentist in the past 24 months compared with 2019.

The Government has committed to delivering an additional 700,000 urgent dental appointments each year through to 2028–29. However, it remains unclear how this pledge is being delivered in practice, as there is currently no publicly available data showing whether these extra appointments are reaching patients.

Chris McCann, Deputy CEO Chris McCann of Healthwatch England, said:

“Short-term tweaks to the dental contract over recent years have failed to make major progress towards addressing the NHS dentistry crisis. Until data is published, it is also unclear how the government is progressing on its pledge to deliver 700,000 new urgent dental appointments.”

He added:

“To boost public confidence, transparent reporting of progress against current targets and details of longer-term, fundamental reform of the NHS dental contract are needed.”

Feedback from people across England reinforces these concerns. Many report long waits and confusing pathways when trying to access urgent dental care, often through NHS 111. Even when appointments are secured, treatment can be limited to temporary fixes, with little opportunity for follow-up NHS care. This leaves patients stuck in cycles of pain or forced to seek private treatment they cannot afford.

Improving access to urgent dentistry is essential, but it cannot be a substitute for a sustainable dental system. Without transparency on delivery and a clear plan for long-term reform, patients will continue to face uncertainty and unmet need, and urgent dental care will remain a pressure point rather than a safety net.