The government has released new figures showing that NHS dental activity has increased by 6% since last year, but the proportion of the population accessing NHS care has remained low.
The newly-released Dental Statistics – England 2025/26 show that a total of 37.6 million NHS courses of treatment (COTs) were delivered in the 12 months to March 2026 – 6.2% higher than in 2024/25.
However, only 40% of England’s adult population reported seeing an NHS dentist within the past two years.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said that the increase in activity still does not match pre-pandemic figures. It suggested that due to ‘systemic barriers’ facing dentistry, ‘there will simply never be the capacity to meet demand without a wholesale change in tack from ministers’.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: ‘What these figures show is NHS dentistry has not bounced back.
‘Even before COVID struck, underfunding and failed contracts meant in “normal” times this service was beset by access problems, with millions unable to access basic care.
‘This is a reminder of just how far off from “normal” we remain. It’s for government to choose if they actually want better for patients.’
Paediatric NHS dental activity
The publication also found that around 60% of children had received NHS treatment within the past 12 months, with child COTs increasing by 7% to 13 million.
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) said it was ‘good to see improvements overall but that there is still much work to be done’.
Oosh Devalia, BSPD president, said: ‘Today’s figures are encouraging in places. Nearly 13 million courses of treatment were delivered to children last year, a rise of 7%, and 60% of children in England were seen by an NHS dentist. That is a credit to teams working under real pressure. However, we can also see from the new statistics how geographically uneven the delivery of dentistry is.’
Are dentists still leaving the NHS?
The data revealed a ratio of 43 NHS dentists per 100,000 population – an overall total of 25,419 dentists who delivered NHS activity in 2025/26. Despite the continuing narrative of an exodus of dentists away from the NHS, this was 3.1% higher than the previous year.
The figure includes foundation dentists but not dental care professionals who may also be delivering routine dental care. It does not show the amount of NHS activity that practitioners are providing.
Neil Carmichael, chair of the Association of Dental Groups, said: ‘We do also need to address the context that there are more registered dentists than ever before who are only working part-time. This and the overall NHS budget squeeze, with inflation and inadequate increases from the Treasury are putting pressure on the system. Whilst the figures are an improvement, there is still work to do.’
The number of NHS dentists also varied considerably by integrated care board (ICB), suggesting not all areas of England have equal NHS provision.
Oosh Devalia said: ‘Some areas have more than twice as many NHS dentists per head as others, and the proportion of children seen ranges from 67% in the best served areas to 41% in the least. A child’s chance of seeing a dentist should not be based on a postcode lottery. BSPD will keep pressing for a contract that works for children and is directed to the communities who need it most.’
What type of NHS dental activity is being carried out?
The statistics showed that the majority of NHS treatments were routine dental care, with 61% of COTs falling within Band 1. Around 11% of COTs would be considered urgent care.
Dr Devalia said: ‘Too many people, children among them, are reaching a dentist when in pain rather than in good time. We need a prevention approach to be properly funded.’
Since the start of its term, the Labour government has pledged to ‘rebuild dentistry’ by focusing on preventive care while ensuring there is adequate urgent provision in place.
Released on 27 August, the report represents the third annual dental statistics release produced by the NHS Business Services Authority.
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