NHS dental treatment courses fall by over 60% in Cornwall
The number of courses of NHS dental treatment provided in Cornwall has fallen by over 60% as a result of the pandemic.
Statistics show that the number of courses of NHS dental treatment carried out by dentists in Cornwall fell from 215,990 in 2019/2020 to 72,717 in 2020/2021. This equates to a drop of 66%.
Backlogs in the county are growing amid dentist shortages and ongoing restrictions, which limit patient numbers. Some patients have been trying to find an NHS dentist for years and many have had appointments cancelled.
Although dental practices in Cornwall, like the rest of the UK, are now increasing capacity, they are not yet at pre-pandemic levels, which means that it is taking time to clear backlogs. The South West is also one of the most underserved areas and there were access issues even before the pandemic began.
Readers of local newspapers have shared their experiences online, with many suggesting that they haven’t been able to get an appointment for routine check-ups since 2019/2020 and some indicating that they have been told to join waiting lists. Others said that they had been able to see a dentist recently for treatment for issues, such as a broken tooth.
Data from the British Dental Association suggests that around 40 million appointments have been lost due to the pandemic. With many practices not yet at full capacity and an increase in the number of dentists going private, patients across the country are finding it hard to access NHS dental services.
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