Dental appointment numbers fall by over 60% in Brighton and Hove
The number of dental treatment courses provided by dentists in Brighton and Hove has fallen by over 60% as a result of the pandemic.
Figures from NHS Digital suggest that there has been a dramatic slump in the number of people seeing their dentist. Between June 2020 and March 2021, dentists provided 66,200 dental treatment courses to NHS patients in the city. This represents a 63% decrease from the same period in 2019/2020.
The main cause of the decrease in appointments is the pandemic. The spread of Covid-19 caused practices to close between the end of March and June in 2020, resulting in thousands of appointments being cancelled.
Since practices reopened, they have been working under strict guidelines to protect staff and patients, which limit patient numbers. Most NHS practices are currently operating at around 60% of pre-pandemic levels, meaning that backlogs are significant.
The figures in Brighton and Hove are similar to areas across the country, with every region impacted by the pandemic and increased pressure on NHS dental services. While practices were closed, urgent hubs were established, but it is estimated that over 15 million appointments were either cancelled or postponed.
Many teams are still only able to offer urgent treatment due to the demand for emergency care. It could be some time before routine services return to normal.
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