In January 2022 the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Shared Data Unit reported around 1,000 NHS dentists left the health service last year - the equivelent of more than 2,500 posts across England and Wales.
Unions warned NHS dentistry is "hanging by a thread" with some patients facing two-year waits for routine check ups.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said unhappiness with the NHS dental contract was a key factor.
The number of NHS dentists working in two English clinical commissioning group areas (CCGs) fell by more than a quarter in the year ending March 31, 2021, with the combined equivalent of 2,435 dentists leaving the health service.
The worst-affected was NHS Portsmouth CCG, which lost 26% of its NHS dentists over 12 months.
Meanwhile, 28 other English CCGs have lost at least 10% of their NHS dentists.
In Wales, 6% of NHS dental posts were lost, with 83 fewer dentists working across health boards than the year before.
The worst-affected area was the Swansea Bay University Health Board, which had 22% fewer NHS dentists compared to the year before.
NHS England said patients who needed care the most should be prioritised, and said it had set up 600 urgent dental centres across England.
Days after our stoiry was published, Westminster allocated Β£50million in dentistry funding. The British Dental Association credited our story for the government's response.
Data and sources
The data and background methodology released to partners are available here:
Interviews and quotes
- Pamela Carr, from Carlisle, who has been living with pain for more than a year and hasn't been able to find an NHS dentist
- Matthew Drake, from Kent, who used all his savings to pay for private dental treatment having failed to find an NHS dentist
- Sharon Grey, from Suffolk, who used metal files and superglue on her own teeth after failing to find an NHS dentist
- Shawn Charlwood, the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee chairman
- Chris McCann, Healthwatch's interim director
- Sarfraz Khan, clinical director of TSJ Smile who runs six dental practices in Barnsley
Partner usage
- Aberdeen Press and Journal: 20 January 2022
- Andover Advertiser: *20 January 2022 *
- Basingstoke Gazette: 20 January 2022
- Bolton News: 20 January 2022
- Bolton Journal: 20 January 2022
- Bury Free Press: 20 January 2022
- Chichester Observer: 20 January 2022
- Crawley Observer: 20 January 2022
- Hampshire Chronicle: 20 January 2022
- ITV News Anglia: 20 January 2022
- Lancashire Telegraph: 20 January 2022
- Liverpool World: 20 January 2022
- Lynn News: 20 January 2022
- Manchester World: 20 January 2022
- Midhurst and Petworth Observer: 20 January 2022
- Monmouthshire Free Press: 20 January 2022
- National World: 21 January 2022
- Northern Echo: 20 January 2022
- Rochdale Online: 20 January 2022
- Romsey Advertiser: 20 January 2022
- Salisbury Journal: 20 January 2022
- Scarborough News: * *
- Shoreham Herald: 21 Janaury 2022
- South Wales Argus: 20 January 2022
- Suffolk Free Press: 20 January 2022
- West Sussex Gazette: 20 January 2022
- Worcester News: 20 January 2022
- Worthing Advertiser: 24 January 2022
- Yorkshire Post: 20 January 2022
- Yorkshire Evening Post: 20 January 2022
- Dentistry.co.uk: 20 January 2022
- El Iberico: 20 January 2022
- Wales: The National: January 2022
- Cwmbran Life: 20 January 2022
The story featured on television on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News Channel and it was also reported by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 6 Music, Breakfast, Newsbeat, Asian Network and Radio Wales.
Regional Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TV programmes that covere the story included: Look East, Points West, East Midlands Today, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ London, Spotlight, South Today, Look North and Midlands Today.
Local Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ radio stations covered the story in Suffolk, Oxford, Norfolk, Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Manchester, Cambridgeshire, Coventry and Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcester, Nottingham, Cornwall, York, Tees, Gloucester, Devon, Leeds, Jersey, Newcastle, Sheffield, Northampton, Lancashire, Berkshire and Bristol.