Almost a third of people in England use private dentists amid NHS dental crisis

Exclusive: Watchdog finds sharp rise in number of poorer households forced to pay for fillings and extractions

Almost a third of people in England now use private dentistry, with a sharp rise in the number of poorer households forced to pay for fillings and extractions.

The scarcity of NHS care means the proportion of people turning to private dental services jumped from 22% in 2023 to 32% late last year, the health service’s patient watchdog found.