Dental crisis deepens in Dumfries and Galloway

The NHS dental crisis in Dumfries and Galloway escalated this week when almost 2,000 more adult patients were given a three months de-registration notice.

It was announced on Tuesday that one of the two dentists at Great King Street Dental in Dumfries has now made the decision to end their NHS services for over 18s.

It is estimated that 36,000 people aged over 18 across the region are now without an NHS dentist.

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Practices in Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart, Annan and Langholm have either closed or de-registered patients through a switch to private over the past two years.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s director of dentistry, Alison Milne, confirmed the notification.

It means almost 2,000 more adults will now be added to the list of those seeking alternative provision.

She said: “Unfortunately, many will be aware that there are no dentists within the region currently accepting new NHS registrations.

“We fully recognise the frustration very likely to be felt by these patients, as experienced by many others who have faced a similar situation in recent years.”

The announcement comes on the back of last month’s revelation that Dumfries and Galloway patients also waited more than four times as long in 2023/2024 compared with four years ago for NHS dental
surgery.

Meanwhile, Dumfries and Galloway health bosses hope a record number of trainee dentists will help tackle the crisis.

The NHS is providing 12 new places for dentists, as well as tutors and support staff – making it the biggest outreach dental training facility in Scotland at the Dumfries Dental Centre at Mountainhall.

Director of public health Valerie White said: “We have seen some success recently through the expansion of the dental outreach programme for the region.

“These undergraduate students are able to offer a single course of treatment to patients who are not currently registered with an NHS dentist, with treatment free of charge, and the waiting list for this is currently open and accepting new patients.

“Members of the public who are not registered with a dentist can self refer online at dg.dentalhelpline@nhs.scot.”

She added: “However, while this is a very positive development, we know that this does not address the issue of providing people with regular, ongoing access to an NHS dentist.

“We continue work to encourage and support dentists to provide NHS general dental services and are working closely with Scottish Government colleagues on these matters.”

South of Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth described the latest deregistrations as “terrible news”.

He accused the Scottish Government of “failing to wake up to the growing dental crisis” – and suggested the root cause is almost no EU dentists coming to the UK anymore since Brexit.

He warned: “It won’t be the last. I expect many others to follow. It is only a matter of time before no adult in our region has NHS dental
care.”

For anyone not registered with a dentist experiencing, dental pain, swelling or dental trauma, emergency care is provided by calling the dental helpline: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, at 01387 245532 or 6pm to 8am at NHS 24 on 111; Saturday and Sunday at NHS 24 on 111.