London to Get 52,000 Extra NHS Dental Appointments. But Is It Enough?

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February 21, 2025
3 min read

London to Get 52,000 Extra NHS Dental Appointments. But Is It Enough?

For anyone who’s struggled to book an NHS dentist in London, there’s finally some movement. The government has announced that London gets 52,000 extra urgent dental appointments across the capital over the next year. It’s part of a bigger national push to fix what many are calling a crisis in NHS dentistry.

The state of dental care has been dire for years, with people waiting months, or even years, for an appointment. Some have been forced to go private, while others have resorted to extreme measures, like pulling out their own teeth at home. It’s a situation that shouldn’t exist in a developed country, and yet, here we are.

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Health officials are calling this expansion a “big step in the right direction,” but many in the industry argue that it’s far from enough. Spread across the city, these new slots only amount to about two extra appointments per NHS dentist per month. Hardly the sweeping reform that’s needed to get on top of a backlog that affects millions of people across the UK.

Londoners in urgent need of care, those with infections, broken teeth, or serious pain, will be prioritised under this new plan. If you’re in that category, you’ll soon be able to book an emergency appointment through your local NHS dentist or by calling NHS 111. But for anyone needing routine check-ups or minor work, the wait continues.

The government insists this is just the start and that more changes are coming. A new supervised tooth-brushing scheme for young children in deprived areas is also on the way, aimed at tackling decay before it starts. Meanwhile, incentives are being rolled out to encourage dentists to work in areas where services are stretched the most.

The question remains: will these changes actually fix the problem, or are they just a sticking plaster on a system that’s been broken for years? For now, at least, thousands of people across London will finally get the urgent care they need, but unless there’s real reform, NHS dentistry isn’t out of the woods yet.

For more updates on NHS dentistry and healthcare in London, visit EyeOnLondon. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, have you struggled to get an NHS dental appointment?

[Image Credit: Optimised Practice Alliance]