Why is it so hard to find an NHS dentist?
Inside Health
BBC
4.4 • 575 Ratings
🗓️ 17 February 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dentistry is high on the public and political agenda. There have been dozens of headlines about access to NHS dentistry, with some people having to travel huge distances to find a dentist, or being put onto long waiting lists to get an NHS appointment.
In this episode of Inside Health, James Gallagher is joined by chairman of the British Dental Association Eddie Crouch, the Oral Health Foundation's Dr Rachael England, and consultant oral surgeon Tom Thayer. Together, they drill into the issues surrounding NHS dentistry. Along the way, they discuss possible solutions, whether contract reforms will help, and the potential future of dentistry in the UK.
Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Thomas Hunt Production coordinator: Stuart Laws Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Transcript
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| 0:39.5 | Hello there and welcome to the Inside Health podcast. I'm James Gallagher. This week we're going to be drilling into the state of |
| 0:43.9 | NHS dentistry. You've been getting in touch and it's tough out there. I moved to Cornwall from |
| 0:48.8 | Sussex in 2023 and since arriving here in Penzance, I've not seen a dentist, simply because I can't find one. |
| 0:55.7 | There's no NHS dentists and even private ones have waiting lists. |
| 0:59.5 | My email wife has been registered with a local dentist since 2017. |
| 1:03.1 | It's a private practice in Wales, which also provides NHS treatment. |
| 1:07.2 | However, my last appointment was in September 24. |
| 1:12.7 | Their NHS dentists have since left the practice and they've been unable to recruit a replacement. Every month I phone to see if I've |
| 1:16.9 | managed to find one yet. I don't know what I'd do if I did need treatment. Our family have used |
| 1:21.8 | the same NHS clinic for about 10 years. Over night, they announced that they were now private, |
| 1:27.2 | with fees to match. |
| 1:28.6 | From memory, I telephoned about 15 local clinics, maybe more. Not a single one was taking any |
| 1:34.0 | NHS patients. Thanks to Stevie, Jeff and Philip there, as well as everyone else who's been |
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