Healthwatch North Tyneside publish a report on the key issues of dentistry in North Tyneside

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Healthwatch has seen an increase in the number of people sharing their experiences of trying to access NHS dental care and has published its findings and recommendations in a new report ‘Key issues of dentistry in North Tyneside’.

Healthwatch North Tyneside worked with eight regional Healthwatch in the North East and Cumbria to gather feedback from people on local dental care.

235 people told Healthwatch North Tyneside about their experiences of dentistry since the start of the pandemic. The survey took place from December 2021 to January 2022.

What did people tell Healthwatch?

Access to NHS dentistry continues to be the biggest issue for most people. Common challenges people face include finding an NHS dentist to register with and a long waiting time for treatment.

Disrupted care was another major issue raised, with people not being able to book appointments or finding they had been removed from dentist patient lists.

The report shows a lack of understanding of the dental system and a need for clarification about NHS treatment and why private treatment may be offered as an alternative. There’s also a need to clarify the term ‘urgent’, which was defined differently by patients and dental practices.

One survey respondent told Healthwatch North Tyneside: “My bridge fell out on 15th December, and I have an appointment for 11th January, so have had no teeth for nearly a month. They didn’t class this as urgent, but I did!”

Dental costs are seen to be expensive and create a barrier to people seeking treatment. People on low incomes are particularly affected, giving rise to inequality in care.

Healthwatch North Tyneside is calling for:

• Easy access to a single, up-to-date list of NHS dentists who are taking on new patients.
• Better information and transparency about: the meaning of being ‘registered’ with a dentist; NHS contracts and funding of appointments versus private care; triage; the definition of ‘urgent’ and timescales for treatment; costs of NHS and private treatment and support available to manage these costs; timing of check-ups and advice on maintaining dental health.
• Greater strategic coordination of provision across the borough
• Focus on barriers to accessing dental care to address health inequalities.

Read the report here.