The number of missing dental appointments in England has reached 14m due to COVID-19

According to official activity figures seen by the British Dental Association, the number of missing dental appointments in England has reached fourteen million due to COVID-19. As a result, it requests the government to fund costs for state-of-the-art equipment to help practices handle the continuous accumulation of patients.

According to statistics, treatments performed in NHS dental services are at a quarter of their pre-pandemic rates, and over fourteen and a half million fewer treatments were performed compared to the same duration in 2019.

Eddie Crouch, BDA chair, stated: “Dentists are facing an uphill struggle to restore services and get on top of an ever growing backlog. New rules could offer some hope, but only if the government is willing to show leadership. If practices are going to get more patients back through their doors, it will hinge on support to invest in new kit. Until we see commitments, dentists will fight a losing battle, as early signs of decay are missed and oral cancers go undetected.”