Majority of dentists  - if not all - in Bolton are not taking on new adult NHS patients.

The findings come after a survey by the  British Dental Association (BDA) and BBC found the majority of NHS dental practices in the UK are unable to offer appointments to new adult patients.

And only this week, there were reports of people  resorting to "DIY dentistry" due to being unable to get an appointment with an NHS practice.

According to the NHS 'Find A Dentist' online service, no dentists in Bolton were clearly open to NHS patients. 

The Bolton News found 23 dental practices are not taking any patients on, nine were only taking patients on who have been referred and three dental clinics - Ravat and Ray Deane, Greater Manchester Dental Alliance Limited and High Street Dental Practice Partnership, did not answer.

Referrals can only usually be made when a patient is already registered with a dentist.

Cllr Sue Baines, Executive Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said it is important that every age group has access to regular dental check ups.

She said: "Dental health is so very important, it's not just about brushing and flossing daily but also it's about having regular check ups with a dentist.

"People generally think of preventing tooth decay and gum disease when we talk about good dental hygiene and health, but as the mouth is our first natural defence in preventing bacteria entering the body, poor dental hygiene can result in inflammation and infection in other parts of the body and especially heart disease.

"It's important for every age group to get regular dental check ups as dentists can also identify oral cancers and refer to specialist medical care.

"Currently there is a massive shortage of qualified dentists as a result of the inability to recruit into the profession and due to their leaving.

"Dentists like GP's have their own businesses and undertake work from the NHS under a service contract.

"I, like others am concerned about Bolton people's inability to register with a dentist offering NHS care as so many cannot afford private treatment.

"This is a very important issue and from a public health perspective a preventative health strategy."

Across England, 91 per cent of NHS practices were not accepting new adult patients, 4,933 of 5,416, rising to 97 per cent in the East Midlands, and 98 per cent in the South West, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Of those practices not taking on adults in England, 23 per cent (1,124) said they had an open waiting list, and 16 per cent (791) said the wait time was a year or longer, or were unable to say how long it would be.

Out of 152 local authorities in England, BBC researchers did not successfully reach any practices accepting new adult NHS patients in 56 local authorities.

In England, 79 per cent  of NHS practices were not accepting new child patients – 4,293 of 5,416.

Shawn Charlwood, chairman of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, said: “NHS dentistry is at a tipping point, with millions unable to get the care they need and more dentists leaving with every day that passes.

“We’re seeing the results of years of chronic neglect, set into overdrive by the pressures of the pandemic. The question now is will ministers step up before it’s too late?

“Nothing we’ve heard from government to date gives us any confidence this service has a future.

“Without real reform and fair funding NHS dentistry will die, and our patients will pay the price.”

People with an urgent problem should continue to contact their local NHS dental practice where they will be triaged depending on the care needed.

If the practice is unable to offer an appointment, patients can call 111 - if deemed clinically urgent, an appointment can then be made at the nearest urgent dental care hub.

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Manchester said: “Access to NHS dentistry is a challenge for health systems across the country and here too in Greater Manchester.

“Dental practices are independent enterprises that judge if they have the capacity to take on patients onto their NHS lists and update the NHS UK website accordingly. These opportunities are usually taken up swiftly by local patients.

“Because of this it is a challenge to assess the exact level of availability at any one time in any one location in the conurbation, but the intelligence we have tells us that the opportunities are more limited than we would like for both children and adults.

“In Greater Manchester a working group is prioritising plans to improve access to NHS dentistry for people in Greater Manchester. This group includes commissioners, dental providers and Healthwatch to represent the interests of patients and we are looking for improvements in this area of access as a matter of urgency.”

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