A surge in the number of dentists practicing in the UK has been noted, raising concerns that accessing dental check-ups may become more challenging for some patients.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has emphasized that the influx of internationally trained dentists will not resolve the country’s dental health crisis unless the government allocates sufficient funding for National Health Service (NHS) treatments to cater to a larger portion of the population.
Many dental facilities in England are currently not accepting new adult NHS patients, leading to a rise in self-administered dental care as individuals suffering from dental issues resort to extracting their own teeth.
The Mirror’s Dentists for All campaign sheds light on this issue, coinciding with recent data from the General Dental Council reporting a 3.4% increase in the number of registered dentists practicing in the UK as of December 2025, totaling 48,000 dentists.
While the UK government has eased regulations to enable more foreign-trained dentists to practice in the country, the BDA warns that the core issue persists due to inadequate funding, causing dentists to shift focus towards private patients and reduce their NHS workload.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch expressed that the underlying problem lies in the unsustainable and underfunded dental system, urging the government to address the root issues rather than attempting temporary fixes.
The NHS dental budget has stagnated at approximately £3 billion for over a decade, failing to keep pace with inflation and population growth, resulting in treatment capacity for only half of England’s population. This budget freeze signifies a real-terms reduction of about £1 billion, unparalleled in other NHS sectors.
Between 2010 and 2024, the percentage of the NHS budget allocated to dentistry plummeted from 3.3% to a mere 1.5%, indicating a substantial decline in funding support for dental services in England compared to other UK regions.
To restore a comprehensive NHS dental service accessible to all in England, an additional £1.5 billion investment is estimated by the BDA, within the context of a multi-billion-pound NHS budget.
The government’s initiatives to facilitate foreign-trained dentists joining the NHS through expanded registration exams and provisional registration pathways aim to address workforce shortages. However, the problematic NHS dental contract, leading to financial losses for dentists treating patients requiring extensive care, remains a significant hurdle.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged to reform the dental contract, but the BDA contends that without additional funding, these changes will only amount to superficial adjustments within a flawed system.
Recent reforms include offering extra urgent dental appointments for patients in critical oral health conditions, yet concerns have been raised that this may inadvertently exclude patients requiring routine maintenance care from dental practices.
Eddie Crouch, speaking at a parliamentary event hosted by the Mirror, highlighted that while these reforms may benefit patients in urgent need, the lack of substantial investment remains a significant issue, potentially leading to limitations in accommodating all patient needs within the healthcare system.
Last month, dentists gathered at Westminster to advocate for increased funding, with over 1,300 professionals signing an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging for urgent attention to address the challenges faced by the dental sector.