Greater Manchester's 'dentistry deserts' where almost HALF of patients are still denied treatment

More than a third of Greater Manchester's NHS dentists are not accepting children, while almost half are not taking new adult patients

Patients living in Greater Manchester's 'dentistry deserts' are still being denied NHS treatment six months after a Labour promise to ‘rebuild’ the way treatment is delivered.

Latest analysis of the 347 practices in Greater Manchester on the NHS’s ‘find a dentist’ website has revealed 149 – 43 per cent of the region’s practices – are still not currently accepting adults aged 18 or over.

This figure varies by area, with 62 per cent of NHS dentists in Trafford not accepting adult patients, compared to just 29 per cent in Wigan.

The situation remains exactly the same as in November, when we last crunched the numbers.

And it is not just adults who are affected – 36 per cent of NHS dentists in Greater Manchester are still not accepting children aged 17 or under, ranging from 60 per cent of dentists in Rochdale, to 21 per cent of those in Manchester.

In reality, many of those that say they are accepting patients “when availability allows” may not be, or may have years-long waiting lists.

Those who cannot get NHS appointments are largely reliant on expensive private care, with rural and coastal areas some of the worst affected.

See which dentists are accepting NHS patients in your area using our interactive map:

The ongoing lack of NHS dentists is an issue nationally. Across England, nearly 4,800 of the more than 6,500 dentists on the site, or 73 per cent, are still not currently accepting adults aged 18 or over – the same as in November.

When contacted by the Mirror as part of a joint investigation with the British Dental Association, 84 out of 100 practices that were listed as accepting new adult patients “when availability allows” in November were actually not accepting new NHS patients. One stated its waiting list was “at least ten years”.

In total, 53 constituencies with a combined adult population of 4.8 million people still don’t have a single available NHS dentist.

Meanwhile, 62 per cent of NHS dentists on the site are not accepting children aged 17 or under, a figure which again hasn’t improved since November.

Overall, 43 constituencies don’t have a single practice accepting new child patients.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government inherited a broken NHS dental sector after years of neglect, but we are getting on with fixing it through our Plan for Change.

“We’ve already begun the rollout of 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments, and a ‘golden hello’ scheme is underway to recruit dentists to areas with most need – with hundreds of posts advertised.

“We will reform the dental contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists, and we’ve announced a national supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children.”

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An NHS Greater Manchester spokesperson said: "Supporting people to access NHS dental services remains a key priority for NHS Greater Manchester. Despite ongoing challenges across the country and in Greater Manchester, we’ve managed to maintain local provision and ensure continued access for patients.

"Figures for 2024 show that 64 per cent of children living in Greater Manchester have had access to an NHS dentist, which is higher than the national average of 57 per cent. For adults, 43 per cent have had a dental appointment in the last two years."

NHS Greater Manchester says the timeframes are different because national guidance, from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), recommends that children have a check-up every 12 months, while adults are seen based on their individual oral health needs, which can mean up to 24 months between visits.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that a staggering 88 per cent of people without a dentist who tried to secure NHS dental care in the last month were unsuccessful.

Of those, 20 per cent resorted to private dentistry, while a concerning 70 per cent did nothing – with the BDA warning of increased burdens on the health service if early signs of disease go unchecked.

Among those who attempted to access NHS dentistry but didn't have a dentist, 27 per cent reported having an urgent need for dental care, with 22 per cent stating they were in pain.

The Labour Party went into the 2024 election promising to reform the NHS dentistry contract fuelling the current crisis, to deliver 700,000 new urgent dental appointments and to roll out tried and tested preventive programmes in schools.

There has been little material progress on these pledges to date, although from this month, integrated care boards – the NHS bodies that commission health services for regions in England – will be expected to purchase the 700,000 additional urgent care appointments, to be delivered by the end of April 2026.

NHS Greater Manchester says uou can contact any NHS dentist and ask for an appointment if you have symptoms or need a routine check-up. If you need urgent dental care and your dental practice is closed or you don’t have a regular dentist, contact the Greater Manchester Dental Helpline on 0333 332 3800 (available 8am-10pm daily, including bank holidays).

Please note that dental charges may apply unless you receive certain benefits, says NHS Greater Manchester. Visit Get To Know Where to Go for further information.