London Assembly report spotlights lack of dentistry access
A new report from the London Assembly Health Committee examines the state of dentistry and or
‘Decay & Delay: The state of Dentistry and Oral Health in London’ features contributions from Healthwatch Lambeth and examines the state of dentistry in London and discusses how it can be improved.
Key findings
- One quarter (25.8 per cent) of 5-year-olds in London experienced tooth decay in 2021-22 – which is higher than the English average of 23.7 per cent.
- More than 5,000 children aged 0 to 9 in London were admitted to hospital for tooth extractions in 2022-23.
- 47.1 per cent of children in London did not access an NHS dentist between March 2023 and March 2024.
- Nationally, the tooth extraction rate for children and young people living in the most deprived communities was nearly 3 and a half times that of those living in the most affluent communities.
- Water is not routinely fluoridated in London. Since 2022, the Government has had new powers to introduce water fluoridation schemes across the country.
- In the two years to March 2024, just 39 per cent of adults accessed an NHS dentist in London, while just 53 per cent of children accessed an NHS dentist in the previous year.
- The current NHS dental contract is severely flawed and needs fundamental reform.
- Funding for NHS dentistry has not kept pace with inflation. There is currently not sufficient commissioned NHS activity to meet the needs of London’s population.
View the committee's recommendations and read the report in full at the link below.
