One in eight dentists are approaching retirement age which is creating a ‘ticking timebomb’, research by the House of Commons Library has found.
The research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, showed that 4,079 NHS dentists are aged 55 and over and approaching retirement. This equates to one in eight dentists across the country.
However, in some areas this proportion is higher, for example in North Lincolnshire, 22 out of the 67 dentists are aged 55 and over, which is a third of dentists in the area. Similarly, in Norfolk and Waveney, 91 out of 328 (28%) are over 55, and in North East Lincolnshire it is 26% (19 of 74).
Between 2021 and 2024, there were 329 NHS dental contracts handed back by providers, according to the results of a separate written parliamentary question by the party.
Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesperson, Helen Morgan, said: ‘We have heard countless harrowing stories of people resorting to almost medieval methods of using pliers to pull their own teeth out as the dental care they desperately need simply does not exist. This is nothing short of a national scandal.
‘This dark situation is at risk of getting even worse with this ticking timebomb of dentists approaching retirement age. The Conservatives’ shameful record brought us to this point but the Labour government’s kicking of the can down the road is simply not sustainable.
‘We need to see ministers urgently enact the Liberal Democrats plan to end dental deserts and rescue countless communities from these great dearths in dental provision. Only then will we put the days of DIY dentistry behind us.’
Last month, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said there would be ‘no future’ for NHS dentistry unless the workforce is sufficiently supported to deliver NHS dental care.
It comes after a National Audit Office (NAO) report similarly found that the plan was not on track to deliver an extra 1.5 million courses of treatment in November 2024.
