An NHS dental clinic in Chester-le-Street reopened to new patients for just four hours, drawing a surge of desperate residents amid a worsening dental care shortage in County Durham.
All Smiles Dental, located on South Burns, announced via social media that it would accept new NHS patients for a limited period on Wednesday, July 9. The brief reopening came after a prolonged closure to new bookings.
County Durham has been labelled a “dental desert” after studies showed no NHS dental practices in the region were accepting new patients. The shortage has left many residents without access to care.
A spokesperson for All Smiles Dental said the practice had limited availability and used the four-hour window to allow people to pre-book future appointments.
“We were taking on patients during that time to pre-book appointments,” the spokesperson explained. “When new slots become available, we offer them to new patients. Every so often, we open our books. We’re not accepting new patients right now because we took on quite a few, but we will notify the public through our social media when that changes.”
The rare opportunity caused a stir online, with hundreds of Facebook users sharing the news and trying to secure an appointment.
Frustration has grown across the county as residents struggle to access dental care. In some extreme cases, individuals have reported pulling out their own teeth due to the lack of NHS services.
The shortage stems from multiple dental practices choosing not to renew their NHS contracts, further limiting available care in the region.
Earlier this year, The Echo reported that a County Durham dentist warned the crisis could even delay cancer treatment, where dental clearance is a requirement.
Dave Gallagher, Chief Contracting and Procurement Officer for the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), acknowledged the concerns.
“We understand the challenges people in the North East and North Cumbria are facing in accessing routine dental appointments,” he said. “We want to reassure the public that improving access to NHS dentistry is a priority, and we are working on several measures to support dental services in the region.”
