The data showed 28.2m adults have not seen an NHS dentist in the 24 months to March 2026.
Professor Martyn Cobourne, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘The Government has made clear its ambition to improve access to NHS dentistry. To achieve this, it must prioritise meaningful reform of the dental contract, alongside measures that support prevention, improve access for patients and help recruit and retain the dental workforce.'
For children, 7.17m were seen by an NHS dentist, equivalent to 60% of the child population. While this represents an increase on the previous year, four in ten children did not see an NHS dentist.
The data show that NHS dental activity continued to recover in 2025/26, with 37.6m courses of treatment delivered, a 6.2% increase on the previous year. The NHS dental workforce also increased, with 25,419 dentists carrying out NHS activity in England, 3.1% more than in 2024/25.
The figures also reveal significant geographical inequalities in access. NHS South Yorkshire ICB recorded the highest level of access, with 56% of adults and 67% of children seen by an NHS dentist. By contrast, NHS Somerset ICB had the lowest levels of access, with just 23% of adults and 41% of children seen.
Earlier this week, the Nuffield Trust warned of dentistry becoming a two-tier service as it revealed one in ten NHS dental practices have stopped NHS care since 2017.
Nuffield Trust chief executive Thea Stein said universal access to NHS dental care remained ‘a pipe dream for many people'.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘This Government is rebuilding NHS dentistry after a decade of decline and these statistics demonstrate our progress to date, with 3m more courses of NHS dental treatment delivered compared to the year leading up to the general election and 7.2m children accessing dental care, higher than before the pandemic.
‘We're prioritising patients with the greatest need, helping prevent poor oral health among children, and bolstering the workforce through the biggest sustained expansion of dental school places in twenty years. There is much more to do, but we're making clear progress to tackle inequalities and improve access to dental care.'
