Patients across England are receiving millions more NHS dental appointments, according to newly released figures showing 1.8 million additional treatments delivered in the first seven months of 2025–26 compared with the same period before the general election.
The increase follows the government’s pledge to expand urgent dental access under its Get Britain Working initiative. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) were tasked with delivering 700,000 extra urgent appointments and have already commissioned nearly one million.
However, Jason Wong, Chief Dental Officer for England, advised that the current definition of “urgent” care is too restrictive. Conditions such as advanced tooth decay, rotting teeth and escalating dental pain do not automatically qualify for urgent slots under existing rules.
In response, the government is widening the target beyond urgent care to include all dental appointments. The move will allow ICBs to increase overall capacity, particularly for children, patients with complex needs and those who have struggled to secure NHS treatment.
All ICBs are required to provide accessible urgent dental services and have been commissioning additional capacity since April. Under the revised approach, local systems will have greater flexibility to determine which appointments best meet community needs, repurpose services where necessary and expand access for new patients.
From April 2026, high street dentists delivering NHS care will also be required to provide a minimum number of urgent or unscheduled appointments, including for new patients. The government expects the broadened criteria and forthcoming contract reforms to generate millions more appointments overall.
The expansion follows reports of patients attempting DIY dentistry, including extracting painful or loose teeth at home due to limited access. Ministers say the changes aim to ensure patients with serious oral health problems receive timely care.
The reforms are part of a wider prevention strategy. Measures include a national supervised toothbrushing programme for three- to five-year-olds, support for up to 600,000 children this year, distribution of more than four million toothbrushes and toothpastes, and expansion of community water fluoridation schemes shown to reduce decay.
“Widening access beyond urgent care means more patients will be seen quickly and treated before problems escalate,” Wong said. “By working with government and the dental sector, we are delivering on our commitment to prioritise prevention and improve oral health.”
The initiatives form part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which seeks to shift NHS dentistry away from crisis response and towards prevention and earlier intervention.