Doncaster facing dental 'timebomb' as nearly half never go to dentist

South Yorkshire has 465 NHS dentists serving a population of 1,405,000 - or one NHS dentist for 3,008 residents.

Doncaster has 38 NHS dentists, according to the NHS dentist finder.

The average gap between children having dental appointments in the city has gone over a year for the first time and now stands at 15 months.

Men wait an average of five years between check-ups and 45% don’t go to the dentist at all unless they have a problem.

Women wait an average of three years between check-ups and 35% only go if they have an issue.

The cost of living crisis is a key factor in patients putting off going to dentist - and fear of the bill they get at the end is greater than the fear of the needle.

Shortage of NHS dentists is a second factor in patients delaying appointments with people neglecting their teeth because they cannot find cost effective treatment.

The results are from a new survey of 5,000 people by Dental Phobia - a website set up to help the millions in the UK who fear going to the dentist.

Dental Phobia set up panels throughout the UK including in Doncaster to find where patients were most likely to skip dental check-ups.

It found that the gap between dental check-ups had risen by 20% in South Yorkshire over the last five years.

Lots of patients in the county got out of the habit of going to the dentist during the Covid crisis and they have not returned because of fears over the cost.

Two-thirds of patients (67%) say their biggest worry prior to an appointment is the bill they get at the end of it.

This compares to the 53% of patients who fear going to the dentist largely because of the pain and the needles used for anaesthetics prior to treatment.

Just under half of patients (46%) said a shortage of NHS dentists had put them off seeking treatment because they are worried a private dentist would be too expensive.

Dentist Rhona Eskander, a world leader in dental care, said: “Doncaster is facing a dental timebomb if patients don’t get back into the habit of seeking regular check-ups.

“What is most worrying is that the cost of living crisis is forcing some parents to cut corners with their children’s teeth.

“Regular dental appointments are easy to put off and lots of people in South Yorkshire got out of the habit of going to the dentist during Covid and have not returned.

“Patients end up losing their teeth because small cavities which could be fixed inexpensively when they first develop grow quickly without treatment.

“And more serious conditions such as the early signs of oral cancer - particularly important for patients who smoke and drink regularly - are often first spotted by dentists.

“One of the most common signs of head and neck cancer is an ulcer which develops in the mouth and does not heal within 14 days. Caught early, survival rates are good but they drop rapidly.”

Dental Phobia has a free guide to overcoming dental fear and has a national database of specially trained dental phobia certified professionals so patients can find an expert where they live.

Dental Phobia also has a five-minute test on its website so a patient can discover quickly if they are dental phobic.

It has helped more than 100,000 dental phobic patients since it was started.

Click here to find out how many NHS dentists there are where you live: