‘Dental deserts’ form in England as dentists quit NHS, experts warn

Patients struggle to get treatment as report says health service has lowest number of dentists for a decade

Dental deserts" are emerging across England after more than 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year, leaving millions of people struggling to get checkups or have toothaches fixed, a new report reveals.

The exodus is exacerbating a crisis that has seen patients battle to get dental treatment because so few dental surgeries will see them as NHS patients.