Have you tried signing up for an NHS dentist? If you managed it, tell the rest of us how. Figures from the British Dental Association (BDA) and the BBC lay bare the bleeding abscess at the heart of UK dental care. The shortage of dentists has been blamed on an NHS contract which the BDA says provides funds for only half the cost of treatment for each patient.
Across England, 91 per cent of NHS practices are not accepting new adult patients, with many languishing on waiting lists for longer than a year. The crisis has seen a rise in people forced to see private dentists. Some who cannot afford to do so have even attempted so-called ‘DIY dentistry’.
