Over 100,000 people have signed a petition demanding the UK Government reverse a decade of funding cuts to NHS dentistry, a crisis that has left millions unable to access dental care. The Mirror’s "Dentists for All" campaign reveals that the existing £3 billion budget for NHS dental services in England only covers about half the population's needs, resulting in 14 million adults living with what is termed “unmet need” for dental care.

This crisis reflects not only chronic underfunding but also structural issues within the NHS dental system. Since 2010, the total NHS dentistry budget in England has remained static, failing to keep pace with inflation or population growth. The British Dental Association (BDA) estimates that, in real terms, this represents a cut of over a third. Meanwhile, the government’s direct funding for dentistry is roughly £2.2 billion, with patient charges having risen sharply, masking these funding cuts. For example, charges for dentures have increased by £128 since 2010, now costing £327.

The Westminster government’s dental funding per head is nearly half that of other UK nations, with spending per capita on NHS dentistry at £38 in England compared to £57 in Wales, £59 in Northern Ireland, and £73 in Scotland. England also has the lowest ratio of dentists per capita among G7 countries. Currently, dentistry accounts for just 1.5% of the NHS budget in England, down from 3.3% in 2010, while primary care services like general practice have seen increased investment. This disparity has prompted calls from stakeholders including the BDA chair Eddie Crouch, who warns that without reversing “a generation of savage cuts,” millions will remain excluded from NHS dental care.

The problem is compounded by the flawed NHS dental payment contract, which pays dentists the same regardless of the complexity or volume of care provided. This disincentivises dentists from taking on patients who need the most care and is driving many to leave the NHS in favour of private practice. Consequently, dental practices have stopped accepting new NHS patients, worsening access issues. Efforts to reform this contract are underway but remain dependent on securing increased overall funding.

Campaigners including the campaigning group 38 Degrees, which partnered with the Mirror on the petition, highlight the urgency of increased funding ahead of the Autumn Budget. Their chief executive, Matthew McGregor, stresses that reforms will be ineffective without sufficient government investment, warning that millions will continue to go without affordable dental care.

While the Government has announced plans to provide 700,000 additional urgent and emergency dental appointments across England, this initiative alone is widely viewed as insufficient to tackle the scale of the problem. A National Audit Office report also casts doubt on the success of recent dental recovery plans, noting they are unlikely to meet targets aiming for 1.5 million more treatments by March 2025. The report signals ongoing challenges such as a falling number of dentists offering NHS care and reductions in overall spending.

Political responses have varied. Labour has pledged to increase funding for primary care, including dentistry, and initiated some preventative measures such as supervised tooth brushing schemes in schools and distribution of free oral care products in deprived areas. However, evidence given by the dentistry minister, Stephen Kinnock, to the Health Select Committee suggests the Treasury currently resists funding radical reforms, with total dentistry budgets expected to remain roughly unchanged.

Other political voices, including the Liberal Democrats, underline the severity of access issues, revealing that about 5 million people (12.2% of the English population) lack access to a dentist. This has contributed to a rise in ‘DIY dentistry,’ where those in pain resort to self-treatment. Numerous petitions continue to call for urgent government action to improve NHS dental funding and ensure equitable access.

As the government prepares its Autumn Budget release, the pressure mounts for a resolution to a crisis that has left millions in England without routine dental care, risking long-term oral health consequences and creating a public health emergency.

📌 Reference Map:

  • [1] (Mirror) - Paragraphs 1-8, 10-12
  • [2] (Liberal Democrats) - Paragraph 9
  • [3] (National Audit Office) - Paragraph 7
  • [6] (Government announcement) - Paragraph 7
  • [4], [5], [7] (Petitions and campaigning groups) - Paragraph 9

Source: Noah Wire Services