Over 50% of residents in Milton Keynes don’t have an NHS dentist, survey reveals
A new survey suggests that over 50% of residents in Milton Keynes don’t have access to NHS dental services.
Research carried out by MKFM revealed that 53.2% of people don’t have an NHS dentist in Milton Keynes.
The online poll attracted a lot of comments from locals, many of whom had experienced difficulties getting an NHS dental appointment in the last two years. One woman who commented on the post said that she had to travel to Dunstable to see a dentist because there were no NHS places available closer to home.
A study conducted by the British Dental Association (BDA) and the BBC found that 84% dental practices in Milton Keynes had no available adult NHS places during the summer of 2022. In some parts of the country, the figure was as high as 99%.
Milton Keynes MP, Iain Stewart, said that dental practices are facing similar pressures to GP surgeries, as the demand for treatment is much higher than the supply. A large number of dentists, which could be up to 3,000, according to the BDA, have left the NHS, retired or quit dentistry altogether since 2020. There has also been a surge in the number of patients trying to get appointments after the pandemic, as people weren’t able to access non-emergency dental services during lockdowns and periods of restrictions.
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