This seismic change feels like a quick fix. It doesn’t matter whether a dentist qualifies in Manchester or Mumbai. We won’t keep talent working within a failed, underfunded NHS system without real change. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/thousands-more-brits-access-nhs-36840813

The responsibility - or lack thereof - rests with Rachel Reeves and HMT.

Millions make a positive choice to go private. Those left without options, who have felt forced to go private, are there entirely because of choices made by the Treasury. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/09/nhs-dental-crisis-private-dentist-patient-incease-england

It isn't 'abuse' when practices reflect the mounting costs of delivering dental care in their private fees. But when it comes to chronically underfunding a service millions depend on, Government might just meet the definition Our letter to the editor of @thetimes.com

📈Women now make up the majority of registered dentists in the UK. ♀️♂️But gender equality is more than just a numbers game. 🧱We’re committed to taking down the barriers that can hold women back in dentistry. Happy International Women's Day. #IWD2026

The Government is attempting to use this inquiry to pretend it is improving access and putting money back into voters’ pockets without spending a penny. We intend to spell out the facts. We will help to show the CMA how private dentistry works.

This was never about lack of demand. Underfunded practices are struggling to meet punishing targets. We have dentists losing money delivering NHS care. It might suit the Treasury but no healthcare professional can be expected to work this way. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpqwwvnp7z8o

Congratulations @sharonhodgsonmp.bsky.social, new Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention. As dentists we believe in putting prevention first. We are committed to work with you to see that principle put into practice.

Action was trailed to the press... But today's Spring Statement offered not a single a word on reform of Plan 2 loans, that have left a generation of our members drowning in debt. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/inaction-leaves-young-dentists-drowning-in-debt/

“Chairside tests for chronic diseases are a golden opportunity for patients, that will remain unrealised until we see real commitment to rebuild this service," says @/eddiecrouch.bsky.social https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/diabetes-dentist-chairside-test-gum-disease-b2930374.html

A generation of dentists are now facing debts many will never repay. Read our open letter to Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting on why we need urgent reform of Plan 2 loans. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/dental-graduates-left-drowning-in-debt-need-lifeline/

Thanks @helenmorganlibdem.bsky.social Manifesto promises don't provide care for desperate patients. That requires decent contracts, sustainably funded. We're still waiting. As are the nearly 14 million adults struggling to access NHS dentistry.

Compare and contrast... Savage cuts have left NHS dentistry hanging off its hinges. Double standards on funding mean promised reforms may well fail. Without needed investment we will see practices struggling to remain viable, and millions unable to access the care they need.

[email protected] is right to highlight the real world impact of the cuts to NHS dental services. ✂️Slashing budgets by 1/3 led to a dramatic decline in adult oral health under the last Government. 📈Without adequate investment, oral health inequalities will keep widening.

Thanks @adrianramsay.bsky.social Despite the commitment of 1000s of dentists who have continued to deliver NHS care against all odds, millions are still going without care. After years of savage cuts, ending this crisis will hinge on promised reform being backed by sustainable funding.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿Are you are a General Dental Practitioner in Wales? Then we need to hear from you. 👉 https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/makeorbreak

Thanks @libdems.org.uk and @helenmorganlibdem.bsky.social From think tanks to select committees, it’s very clear to everyone that’s looked at what’s really fuelling this crisis that fundamental reform must go hand in hand with sustainable funding. It’s not an either/or. @thebda.bsky.social

❗But happy enough to leave oral health at risk?! 📈Yes, prescription charges have been frozen, but dental charges continue to rise. 📉It's a stealth tax. Patients pay more just so ministers can pay less. 💷And there's no sign of the sustainable funding needed to give NHS dentistry a future.

These horrific statistics are a badge of dishonour for governments past and present. Supervised brushing is important progress, but Ministers need to invest in restoring access to care.

Tooth decay is a preventable disease: 📈But 33,976 children underwent extractions a result last year. 💷At a cost of £51.2m. 🦷Ministers need to double down on prevention, and restoring access to millions. 🧒We can’t nip problems in the bud if we don’t get to see these kids.

What the evidence really says on 🇬🇧 British teeth vs the 🇺🇸 Hollywood Smile…

US 'experts' have described oral health in Britain as 'Third World'. 📈Yes, inequalities are widening. 🇺🇸But in the US working age adults are missing more teeth. 🇬🇧The UK Govt will decide whether we end up becoming an Austin Powers cliché. Our letter to the editor of @thetimes.com

"They looked good until they started to bleed and hurt," says Jack. He then discovered his teeth were in dreadful condition and repairs would set him back £20,000. With dental tourism patients need to understand the risks https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/i-spent-3k-turkey-teeth-36710713

‼️ Update: At the time of writing the Welsh Government have failed to keep to their own timetable to publish the model NHS dental contract. This is inexcusable. This profession deserves and demands clarity.

Many people are struggling to access care and may be tempted to go overseas for cut-price treatment. Patients need to understand the risks. The reality of dental tourism is rarely as simple as it appears on Instagram. https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/flesh-eating-virus-turkey-teeth-5HjdSJr_2/

It's either callousness or incompetence. Welsh Govt will be giving dentists the weekend to review the small print of a new contract. Patients will pay the price for the snap decisions they’ve forced on this profession. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/wales-callousness-or-incompetence/

🦷Why is it so hard to find an NHS dentist? 📻A must-listen state of the nation. 🎤Answers from by BDA Chair @eddiecrouch.bsky.social, Consultant Tom Thayer and @dentalhealthorg.bsky.social's Rachael England on BBC R4 Inside Health. 👉 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002r3nn

"Create a caricature of an NHS dentist based on everything you know about the role..." Undervalued. Overstretched. We've spelled out to the facts time and again. Government needs to show it's ready to act on them.

"It's a stupid system," says @eddiecrouch.bsky.social An inflexible contract means that if a practice has capacity - while others in the area are actually reducing NHS work - that funding can't be kept on the frontline. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7z7x0w95go

"The decline of NHS dentistry is not inevitable," says Alex Easton MP. NHS dentistry shouldn't be an optional extra. But saving it will require urgent reform wedded to sustainable funding.

A real privilege to take Tony and his family to Westminster. All too often dentistry has been treated as Cinderella service, a low priority that can’t compete with ‘life and death’ issues. Oral cancer demonstrates how high the stakes can be and that this profession can be life savers.

Government say cancer survival shouldn't be a postcode lottery. But as long as access to NHS dentistry remains a game of chance that's exactly where we'll be with oral cancers. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/oral-cancer-is-the-missing-piece-in-the-government-s-plan/

Thanks to Minister for Care @skinnock.bsky.social and Chief Dental Officer for England Jason Wong for attending our Q&A session on NHS #dentistry in Parliament today. The packed room shows the strength of feeling in Parliament on this crucial issue.

New research reveals that just like cigarettes ultra-processed foods are designed to encourage consumption and addiction. It’s why government needs to step up the fight. Sign here if you agree it’s time to make sugar the new tobacco https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/make-sugar-the-new-tobacco

"We see a lot of children here that can't see a regular dentist that are turning up with abscesses & infections," says Shiv Pabary Urgent care is vital. But a govt that says the NHS must shift from sickness to prevention must not forget routine care. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9qp2xx3e37o

This headline could come from any corner of the UK. Every vacancy that goes unfilled reflects deep seated problems. We can't have NHS dentistry without NHS dentists. The service needs to be a place dentists would chose to build a career. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dm2g5k3dgo

“Soundbites are all well and good" says @eddiecrouch.bsky.social "But what tens of millions of our patients need is real commitment, underpinned by sustainable investment.” https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/primary-care-bodies-unite-to-take-fight-for-financial-security-future-to-parliament/

Pleasure to meet @leepitcher.baky.social in Parliament. Thank you for your support as we call for urgent investment in NHS dentistry and other parts of primary care. @thebda.bsky.social

"There's no point increasing training places for dental students if there are no NHS practices left for them to train in after graduating” warned @drlaurenharrhy.bsky.social We can’t have NHS dentistry without NHS dentists. Practices need decent contracts to retain and recruit staff.

Was it the staff meeting from hell? Today Dental Public Health staff will still be looking for answers on the abolition of NHS England. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/nhs-england-merger-public-health-experts-offered-euphemisms-not-clarity-over-jobs/

Thank you for a constructive discussion on what can be done both locally and nationally to end the dental desert in Cornwall. @benmaguiremp.bsky.social We’ll support you in any way we can as you stand up for your constituents’ right to see an NHS dentist @thebda.bsky.social

Great to speak to @pauldaviesmp.bsky.social today about why access to NHS dentistry is a crucial issue, morally, economically and politically. We need urgency and ambition to ensure everyone who needs to see an NHS dentist can do so. @thebda.bsky.social

“We risk losing the next generation of dentists,” says Makyle Khan, a dental student at Liverpool, and part of our Future Leaders Programme. As the voice of dentistry, we’re equipping the next generation with the skills and confidence to be heard.

From April, changes to the NHS contract in England will be felt in every NHS practice. We've set out the changes to help you understand the adjustments and how you will implement them. 📼Watch the webinar now https://www.bda.org/learning/courses-and-events/contract-change-england-webinar-recording/

"I've spent an hour a week for the last three or four months ringing round dentists," says Joe from Londonderry. Across the UK it’s the same story. None of this is inevitable. Failed contracts and underfunding are political choices. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y22v9p7vyo

Govt to tie the hands of practices on urgent care. We worked to secure a level that's tolerable. But practices could face penalties for failure to hit targets simply because local demand does not exist. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/government-tie-hands-of-practices-on-urgent-care/

The abolition of NHS England has left dental public health staff flying blind. They deserve real clarity on the future of their vital roles. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/dental-public-health-staff-deserve-clarity-on-vital-roles/

Leanne says she "wants to chop her head off and start again", after a her Hollywood Smile resulted in her nose collapsing and a life of constant pain. With dental tourism patients need to understand the risks. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1je9p8wny5o

The NHS Sexual Safety Charter - designed to improve how workplaces address sexual harassment - isn’t working. Colleagues on the frontline are seeking enforceable action. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/18/charter-to-tackle-sexual-harassment-across-nhs-in-england-has-failed-say-unions

📉Underspends in dentistry have crashed by more than 90%. ❎They've all but vanished 💷But the stock excuses for starving NHS dentistry of funding are still with us. https://www.bda.org/news-and-opinion/news/dental-underspends-vanish-but-the-access-crisis-is-still-with-us/