The British Dental Association has stressed the dentists catering for England’s most vulnerable patients need to be recognised and valued for their work, as the community dental service struggles to meet the demands placed upon it.
As the country wrestles with an ageing population, and a surge in those long-term chronic conditions, the BDA warns that the workforce in England – which now stands at little over 1,100 – now faces a crisis of sustainability. After a long-term decline in the size of the workforce, new survey evidence indicates nearly a third (29%) of community dentists in England are contemplating retirement within the next 5 years.
The BDA is now setting out to celebrate the unique contribution of these dentists, offering a new vision for community dentistry with an ambition to future proof this vital and often poorly understood service. The professional body says transparency is needed over workforce numbers and service waiting times, stating there must be real investment into these unique services.
Giten Dabhi, Chair of the BDA’s England Community Dental Services Committee said:
“Community dentists care for the nation’s most vulnerable patients, but demand is vastly outstripping supply.
“Undervalued and overstretched, a shrinking workforce is struggling to meet the pressures placed upon it.
“For too long the mantra has been do more with less, and Government has a moral duty to turn the page.
“We still have an opportunity to future proof this service. But we simply cannot go on as we are.”
