More dental treatments in Nottinghamshire last year

However, the British Dental Association said the latest figures – which show treatments remain below pre-pandemic levels across England despite a surge in activity – show NHS dentistry is ‘on its last legs’ and in need of urgent change.

In the year to March, a total of 527,743 courses of treatment were delivered to adults and children in the former NHS Nottinghamshire clinical commissioning group area, figures from NHS Digital show.

This was more than double the 222,111 treatments delivered in 2020-21.

Different figures show in the two years to June, 315,223 adults saw their local NHS dentist in Nottinghamshire – 38 per cent of the over-18 population, down from 43 per cent in the 24 months to June 2021.

Some 48 per cent of children, 103,655, were seen by NHS dentists between July 2021 and June this year, compared with 33 per cent over the same period the previous year.

Across England, dentists carried out 26.4 million treatments in 2021-22, though the BDA said this is just two-thirds of the average volumes delivered annually in the five years prior to the pandemic – 39.4m.

Eddie Crouch, BDA chairman, said: “What we’re seeing isn’t a recovery, but a service on its last legs.

“The Government will be fooling itself and millions of patients if it attempts to put a gloss on these figures.

“NHS dentistry is light years away from where it needs to be. Unless ministers step up and deliver much needed reform and decent funding, this will remain the new normal.”

The BDA said, while both Tory leadership contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak had pledged urgent reform of NHS dentistry, it had seen no indication the Treasury will be mandated to provide the cash needed to rebuild and reform of services.

The latest data comes after a BDA and BBC analysis earlier this month found that 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.

According to the NHS Digital figures, there were 518 NHS dentists working across the former NHS Nottinghamshire CCG area in the year to March – meaning each one had the equivalent of 2,031 patients on their roster.

An NHS spokesman said: “The latest data show dental services are recovering post-pandemic, with more than 26m patient treatments delivered last year – up 120 per cent from the year before, along with 1.7m more children getting seen by an NHS dentist.

“To further support the ongoing restoration of NHS dentistry, we recently announced the first significant changes to dentistry since 2006, helping practices to improve access for the patients that need dental care the most.”

In July, clinical commissioning groups were abolished and replaced with integrated care boards across England.