NHS Dental Access 2026: Why 60% of Adults Still Cannot Get Care
On 27 August 2026, the NHS Business Services Authority published its annual dental statistics for England covering 2025/26. The figures reveal a paradox: whilst courses of dental treatment climbed 6.2% and the NHS dentist workforce grew 3.1%, the proportion of adults accessing NHS care remained flat at 40%. This means three in five adults did not see an NHS dentist in the year to 31 March 2026, a stubborn metric that exposes the gap between activity and genuine access for patients.
For dental practice owners, principal dentists, and associates working in the NHS contract, these numbers matter because they show where the system is still failing. The rise in courses of treatment reflects real effort from clinicians, but stalled adult access suggests that capacity gains are being absorbed by existing patients or that geographical barriers remain. Understanding this picture is essential for planning recruitment, managing workload, and recognising the recruitment challenges that lie ahead.
Quick Summary
40% of adults (18.8 million) saw an NHS dentist in 24 months to 31 March 2026; unchanged from the prior year
60% of children accessed NHS dental care, with 7.17 million child patients treated in the 12 months to 31 March 2026
Courses of treatment rose 6.2% to 37.6 million; units of dental activity (UDAs) increased 5.1% to 76.8 million
Adult treatment rose 6% to 25 million courses; child treatment rose 7% to 13 million courses (back to pre-pandemic levels)
NHS dentist workforce grew 3.1% to 25,419 dentists (743 more than pre-pandemic); yet regional access remains unequal
Adult treatment courses in the first seven months of 2025/26 exceeded the same period in the prior year by 1.8 million
Access gaps persist: Somerset recorded lower NHS activity rates than regions like South Yorkshire, reflecting structural variation
Activity rose but adult access stayed at 40%
The NHS BSA data confirms a marked increase in the volume of dental work delivered in 2025/26. Courses of treatment reached 37.6 million, a 6.2% increase on the prior year, and units of dental activity climbed 5.1% to 76.8 million. Both figures reflect genuine effort from NHS dental teams across England.
Yet the proportion of adults seeing an NHS dentist did not move. Exactly 40% of the adult population (18.8 million patients) accessed care in the 24 months to 31 March 2026, matching the figure from the prior year. This flat metric, even as activity rose, suggests that increased treatment capacity was either absorbed by patients already in the system or deflected by unmet demand. The Government noted separately that in the first seven months of 2025/26, the NHS delivered 1.8 million extra courses of treatment compared to the same period the previous year, reflecting the pace of escalation.
For practices, this divergence means that rising activity does not automatically translate to bringing new patients into NHS care. The gain in UDAs and courses of treatment reflects higher throughput per attending patient, not necessarily expansion of the patient base. This distinction shapes recruitment and planning: practices are busier, but the underlying access problem for patients outside the system persists.
Children's treatment recovered to pre-pandemic levels
One clear success in the 2025/26 data is paediatric access. The NHS treated 7.17 million child patients in the 12 months to 31 March 2026, and 60% of children accessed NHS dental care, compared to 57% in the prior year. More significantly, the number of courses of treatment for children rose 7% to 13 million, matching activity levels last seen before the pandemic disruption.
This recovery matters for two reasons. First, it signals that when the system prioritises a group, outcomes shift: child access improved even as overall capacity constraints persist. Second, it reflects investment in prevention and early intervention, which reduces treatment burden later. For dental teams, it means the child portfolio of work is now stable and predictable at a higher baseline than it was in 2023/24 and 2024/25.
The contrast between stable child access (now at pre-pandemic levels) and flat adult access (still at 40%) underscores a hard truth: the system has finite capacity, and choices about where to direct it matter. Child-focused programmes have borne fruit; sustaining them whilst expanding adult access remains the core challenge.
The workforce grew 3.1%, yet recruitment pressure continues
The NHS dentist workforce in England expanded to 25,419 dentists in 2025/26, a gain of 743 clinicians (3.1%) on the prior year and notably 743 more than pre-pandemic (2019/20) levels. This growth is real: the system now has more dentists than it did before COVID-19 disrupted supply chains and training pipelines.
However, the absolute scale of the shortfall remains substantial. With millions of adults unable to access care and waiting lists extending across most regions, 3.1% annual growth is insufficient to close the gap. The British Dental Association acknowledged the progress whilst highlighting that millions remain without care, a tension that defines the current workforce environment.
For recruitment, this backdrop creates mixed signals. Practice owners are hiring, because activity is rising and the dentist workforce is expanding. Yet they are also grappling with retention challenges, geographic imbalance (some regions like South Yorkshire report higher adult access, whilst others like Somerset show lower rates), and the structural pressure of the UDA contract, which still pushes clinicians toward private work. The data shows improvement, but not yet relief.
Why this matters
Activity gains without access gains mean practices are busier but not serving more new patients; recruitment should focus on throughput and retention rather than assuming access expansion will ease workload pressure.
Regional variation in access (Somerset vs South Yorkshire, for example) reflects structural factors: practices may recruit effectively but still face patient-availability and contractual barriers that limit their ability to grow the registered patient base.
Children's recovery to pre-pandemic treatment levels suggests that targeted, funded programmes work; if adult access is to improve, similar sustained investment and policy focus will be needed.
Regional access gaps persist despite national activity growth
The national figures mask significant regional variation. Within England, adult access to NHS dentistry ranges from lower rates in areas like Somerset to higher uptake in regions such as South Yorkshire. These gaps reflect a mix of factors: practice density, patient demographics, local commissioning decisions, and the concentration of private provision in wealthier areas.
Somerset's NHS dental teams delivered roughly 3% more NHS work in 2025/26 than in the prior year, with UDAs rising by about 10,000 to 360,000. Yet this local growth still sits within a region where adult access lags the national average. The disparity signals that activity uplift alone does not guarantee equitable access: practices can be delivering more work whilst still failing to reach patients who have no dentist.
For practitioners considering roles in different parts of England, this map matters. A post in a high-access region may offer steadier patient flow and established NHS pathways; a role in a lower-access area may demand more initiative to build referral networks and manage a smaller active patient base. Contract reform, due from April 2026, is intended to address some of these inequities, but the baseline data shows that geography remains a constraint on both recruitment and patient outcomes.
The Bottom Line
The 2025/26 NHS dental statistics paint a picture of operational progress alongside structural stagnation. Dentists and dental teams have increased activity and treatment delivery; the workforce has grown beyond pre-pandemic levels; and children's access has recovered. Yet the proportion of adults reaching NHS care remains locked at 40%, a metric that will not move until either supply expands dramatically or demand moderates.
For recruitment professionals and practice leaders, this means the next phase of hiring will be shaped by activity growth and workforce expansion, but also by the recognition that scaling patient access requires policy-level change beyond local recruitment efforts. Contract reform from April 2026 was intended to address some of these tensions. In the meantime, practices are busier, candidates have options, and the underlying access gap remains a defining pressure on the system. If you are considering your next dental role, understanding both the opportunity (activity is rising) and the constraint (access is not) will help you evaluate whether a practice's growth plans are sustainable or reflections of a tightening system.
Disclaimer: This blog is a general overview and should not be construed as professional legal, financial or medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why did adult access stay at 40% if activity rose?
Activity measures the volume of treatment delivered to patients already in the system. Access measures the proportion of the population seeing an NHS dentist. When activity rises without new patients, existing patients receive more care per course of treatment. This reflects higher throughput per practice, not expansion of the patient base. Reaching the 40% threshold without adding new patients means the system is working harder for the same coverage.
Q2: Did children's dental care improve in 2025/26?
Yes. Child access rose to 60% and courses of treatment climbed 7% to 13 million, matching pre-pandemic levels. This recovery reflects targeted investment in paediatric services. The contrast with flat adult access shows that when the system prioritises a group, outcomes shift. Child dentistry is now stable and at pre-crisis volume.
Q3: How many NHS dentists are there in England now?
There are 25,419 dentists working in NHS dentistry in England as of 2025/26, an increase of 3.1% on the prior year and 743 more than pre-pandemic (2019/20). This growth is significant, but the absolute shortfall remains large because patient demand far exceeds current capacity and access coverage has not moved.
Q4: Why does regional access vary so much?
Adult access ranges from lower rates in areas like Somerset to higher uptake in regions like South Yorkshire. Variation reflects practice density, patient demographics, local commissioning, and private provision concentration. Even where local activity rises, if practice density is low, population access can lag. Geography shapes both recruitment opportunities and patient outcomes.
Q5: When will the NHS dental contract change?
Contract reform was scheduled to begin April 2026. The changes are intended to address access inequities and alter how practices are paid to incentivise patient registration and prevention over throughput. The reforms are expected to reshape recruitment and workload for practitioners, though detailed implementation guidance is still emerging.
Information Sources
This article was researched using authoritative UK sources. Last updated: 2026-09-04.
