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NHS dentists: 26 month wait to register and have check up

Getty Images Dentist treating a patient wearing a maskGetty Images

People are waiting over two years to register and be seen by an NHS dentist in the Cardiff and Vale health board area, Senedd members have been told.

Ivor Chestnutt, honorary consultant to the board, said 15,500 patients are now on its centralised waiting list.

"If you join today, it's about 26 months before you could expect to have an NHS dental appointment," he said.

Ministers said contractual changes meant an estimated 112,000 new patient appointments will be possible in Wales.

Giving evidence to the Welsh Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee. the professor in dental public health at Cardiff University Dental School said people may "be forced to have their care privately".

"In Cardiff and Vale health board, we have a central waiting list and we currently have fifteen and a half thousand patients on that waiting list," he said.

"If you join today, then it's about 26 months before you could expect to be have an NHS dental appointment."

Prof Chestnutt added: "I think we are, at the moment, able to provide emergency dental care for most patients.

"But having sorted the immediate emergency where do we direct them."

The British Dental Association set out to the committee several reasons for the dentist shortage:

  • a chronic lack of investment in staff and infrastructure
  • difficulty attracting and retaining dentists and dental care professionals within the NHS
  • patients with oral health problems exacerbated by the pandemic and poor diet
  • wasted clinical time caused by missed appointments, excessive paperwork, and inefficient administrative systems

In July, Wales' chief dental officer Andrew Dickenson announced most adults in Wales would be offered NHS dental check-ups once a year instead of every six months.

He said it would allow dentists to focus on patients who most need help.

On Wednesday, a Welsh government spokesperson said: "From this year, we are providing an additional £2m each year to improve access to dental services across Wales.

"Changes to the NHS dentistry contract, offered to dental practices since April, also includes a requirement to see new patients.

"This means an estimated 112,000 new patient appointments will be possible in Wales from this year."