Yahoo News The London area where the highest number of residents don’t have a dentist
NHS Dentistry has "ceased to exist" for new patients says the British Dental Association, as it called for the Government to "rescue" the service. This comes as new statistics show that residents in North East London are the least likely in the capital to have a dentist, with one in eight residents admitting they are not signed up.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics’ health insight survey show 13 per cent of the 2,235 respondents in the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board did not have a dentist. Meanwhile, 58 per cent had an NHS dentist and 29 per cent had a private dentist.
Across England, an estimated 13 per cent of people aged 16 and over in England did not have a dentist. The figures show significant inequality, with 9 per cent of the least deprived not having a dentist compared to 22 per cent for the most deprived.
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Responding to the data, the BDA stressed the Government must "move at pace to rescue the struggling service". The professional body added it welcomed the tone set by the Government in accepting NHS dentistry is "broken", and stated that closing the oral health gap represents a "moral crusade".
Eddie Crouch, BDA chair, said: "For new patients NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist. Millions are struggling to access needed care, and those with the highest needs and lowest incomes are the hardest hit. A new Government has made the right noises, but deeds need to match words."
Across London, 46 people without a dentist tried to access NHS dental care in the month before being surveyed. The majority (98 per cent) said they were unsuccessful in getting an appointment.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "It is unacceptable to this Government that so many people are struggling to find an NHS dentist. We are committed to rebuilding the sector, but it will take time. We will start with an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments to help those who need it most, and we will increase access by reforming the dental contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists."
Access to dentistry in London
One in eight people in North East London do not have a dentist
One in nine people in North West London do not have a dentist
One in eight people in North Central London do not have a dentist
One in 10 people in South West London do not have a dentist
One in 10 people in South East London do not have a dentist
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