Fewer than half of Doncaster adults saw their dentist during the pandemic

NHS England data shows a steep drop in people visiting the dentist in 2020 and 2021, with millions across England missing check-ups and treatment.

The figures are proof that NHS dentistry is at the "last chance saloon" and in urgent need of reform, according to the British Dental Association.

In the two years to December 2021, 111,996 adults in Doncaster attended an appointment – the equivalent of 46% of the population.

That is significantly down on the 24 months to December 2019 when 161,628 – 66 per cent – attended.

Between March and June 2020, dental practices were instructed to close and defer routine, non-urgent dental care to limit the spread of Covid-19.

According to the BDA, more than a year's worth of dentistry has been lost to the pandemic so far, with the association's research showing 40 million fewer courses of treatment were delivered between April 2020 and December 2021.

BDA chairman Eddie Crouch said every missed appointment translates to bottled up problems and widening oral health inequality, which could see patients left requiring more extensive and costly interventions.

The association has urged the Government to deliver "meaningful and urgent reform" to the industry, saying underfunding, cuts and failed contracts had also contributed to the problems within the sector.

Mr Crouch said dentists were leaving the NHS and warned recovery from the pandemic would be impossible "if ministers fail to halt the exodus from a demoralised workforce".

He said: "For the sake of our patients real, urgent reform cannot remain stuck on the Government's 'too difficult' list."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care said it had taken "unprecedented action" to support the sector during the pandemic, adding: "Levels of dental treatment are increasing and urgent care is back to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the hard work of staff."

Data relating to children is recorded on an annual basis and shows that the volume of dentist visits, which declined significantly during the pandemic, showed signs of improvement last year.

Nationally, 5.1 million children were seen by an NHS dentist in the year to December – 43 per cent of the child population.

This was up from 3.6 million (30 per cent) the year before, but still significantly down on the seven million (58 per cent) seen in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

Last year, 46 per cent of Doncaster's child population – 30,693 youngsters – saw their dentist, compared to 32 per cent in 2020 and 66 per cent in 2019.

An NHS spokeswoman said more than 600 urgent dental health hubs had been established in response to the pandemic and said NHS England had provided financial support to dental practices while Covid-19 prevented them from working at full capacity.

She added: "The NHS is now getting key services like dentistry back to pre-pandemic levels – injecting an extra £50 million into routine services, which will help provide check-ups and treatment."

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.