By Jenny Hope
16th June 2009
Daily Mail
Three million people tried to find an NHS dentist in the last two years and failed, a survey reveals.
And a further 4.5million did not even bother to look for one, having been put off by past experiences.Yet the poll from consumer champion Which? concluded dentists were easier to find than is commonly thought, with nine in ten appointment bids successful.
It pointed to pockets of problems around England where primary care trusts don't try hard enough.
The poll comes ahead of a Government review this month into how dentistry might be reformed. Which? director Helen McCallum said: 'The belief is NHS dentists are as rare as hens' teeth - but it's not nearly as difficult to find one as most think.'
The poll of 2,600 adults found eight per cent who tried to get an appointment failed. That equates to three million of the 41million adults in England.
Of these, just under half went private, around a third did not bother to go and some attended a hospital A&E.
Which? has developed an online dentist finder.
It wants anyone who fails to find a dentist to update the system so it can pinpoint areas where access is a problem.
John Milne, of the British Dental Association, said: 'This research highlights inequalities in access, a problem that must be tackled imaginatively.
' That means thinking beyond numerical measures of access to consider the kind of care patients receive.'
The Government's chief dental officer Barry Cockcroft added: 'This poll shows the vast majority of people who tried to access an NHS dentist were able to do so.
'The latest data shows the number of patients who saw an NHS dentist increased by 340,000 in the second half of 2008.
'We're aware gaps remain and aim to ensure everyone who wants access to an NHS dentist can see one.'
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