According to new research, nearly three million adults haven not seen a dentist for almost two years, as they cannot get onto an NHS list.
Sky News today reports that although 4.7 million people have paid for private care, 34% of people in England and Wales have not see a entist since April 2006.
David Harker, Chief Executive of the Citizens Advice Beareau, who carried out the research, said: “These figures show the scale of the lack of access to NHS dentistry, reflecting the evidence which bureau across England and Wales have been reporting ever since the early 90s.
“People on low incomes are particularly affected as private treatment is just not an option.”
The charity said it welcomed the 11% increase in Government funding for NHS dentistry from this year.
Mr Harker said: “This has the potential to deliver real improvements in access to dentistry but it needs to be carefully targeted on those areas where patients are experiencing the most acute problems.
Liberal Democrat health secretary Norman Lamb said: “An NHS dentist has become as rare as hen’s teeth
“We need an urgent review into why the reforms two years ago have done so little to improve access.”
