The NAO reported that in 2023–24 there were 24,193 dentists providing some NHS dental care in England, a 2% decline on the total since 2019–20.87 NHSE data outlines that there is a large workforce gap that exists in NHS dentistry, with over 5,500 vacancies across the entire dental workforce in March 2024. Many of those vacancies go unfilled for more than half a year.88

The NAO reported that in 2023–24 there were 24,193 dentists providing some NHS dental care in England, a 2% decline on the total since 2019–20.87 NHSE data outlines that there is a large workforce gap that exists in NHS dentistry, with over 5,500 vacancies across the entire dental workforce in March 2024. Many of those vacancies go unfilled for more than half a year.88 Type: conclusion | Number: 29 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: 1.5 Reforming the dental contract needs careful consideration and this will take time. In the meantime, the government is addressing the immediate challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care by delivering 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year and recruiting dentists to where