The government pledged to deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments and ICBs have commissioned nearly one million appointments in line with this commitment.

However, Jason Wong, chief dental officer for England, has said the scope of these extra urgent appointments is too narrow and limits cases to the clinical definition of ‘urgent'.

Patients with serious oral health issues are not eligible for these extra appointments, as their issues are not considered clinically ‘urgent'.

Following advice from the chief dental officer, the government is broadening the scope of the target to include all dental appointments.

Minister for health, Stephen Kinnock said: ‘Nobody should be pushed to such a state of desperation that they're forced to pull their own teeth out, but there are far too many cases of this happening and it's totally unacceptable.

‘The idea that a patient in this terrible position may not qualify for an urgent appointment is clearly nonsensical, so we're acting to rectify this absurd situation.

‘Thanks to the changes we're making millions more appointments will be delivered this year, with children and those in the greatest need benefiting most. After more than a decade of decline, we're putting NHS dentistry on the road to recovery.'

Wong said: ‘Widening access to include other oral health care beyond urgent care means more patients will be seen quickly and get the care they need before problems escalate.

‘By working closely with government and the dental sector to bring in these changes, we are delivering on the manifesto commitment to make prevention a priority and helping people maintain good oral health.'

Reaction

Neil Carmichael, Association of Dental Groups executive chair, said: ‘The progress made in the delivery of dental appointments is fantastic to hear. The Association of Dental Groups has been aware since the announcement of the 700,000 urgent appointments that some patients have been struggling to understand what was meant by the definition of ‘urgent treatment', so these efforts to provide clarification will be welcomed by our members. 

‘We need to come together now as a profession to support this intervention to succeed, and the ADG recommends that integrated care boards should act quickly now to implement these changes in their local areas, so patients benefit.

‘We must also address the issue that we will not meet patients' needs until we increase the dental workforce. Currently, the gap in our dental teams is massive.

Shiv Pabary, chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘This uptick in activity is progress, and reflects the commitment of thousands of dentists who have continued to deliver NHS care against all odds. But millions are still going without care. After years of savage cuts, ending this crisis will hinge on promised reform being backed by sustainable funding.

‘The Government must build on this progress with urgency and ambition. To give NHS dentistry a future, we need a response proportionate to the challenges we face.'