Fewer than 40% of patients in Durham have seen a dentist in the last 2 years, new figures confirm
Fewer than 40% of adults in Durham have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years, according to new figures.
Data released by the House of Commons shows that only 37% of adults in the city visited an NHS dental practice in the 24-month period leading up to June 30th, 2022. This equates to a decrease of 15% from 2017/2018. Attendance rates in Durham were the lowest across the North East region. In North Tyneside, the proportion of adults that saw an NHS dentist was 40% and in Northumberland, 41% of patients had a dental appointment between June 2020 and June 2022. The highest figure in the area was reported in Redcar and Cleveland (49.4%).
The statistics show that Durham also has the lowest attendance rate in the North East for children. Only 42.8% of children in the city saw a dentist last year, compared to 54.7% of children in Stockton-on-Tees.
A survey commissioned by the Liberal Democrats found that around 20% of people who couldn’t get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years resorted to DIY treatments. This includes asking people who are not dentists for help, using DIY repair kits and over the counter medication and attempting dental procedures, including extracting teeth, at home.
Across the North East, the percentage of adult patients who have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years fell to 43.5% from 59.1% in 2017/2018. The proportion of children who visited an NHS dentist within the same period decreased from 63.5% to 47.9%.
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