Plans to roll out ‘dental vans’ in a bid to tackle practitioner shortages could be put on hold by ministers due to ‘limited availability’ of vehicles

Ministers have been accused of abandoning plans to send dentists in vans across the country in a bid to tackle dental staff shortages.

The vehicles, which are equipped to provide mobile care to rural communities, were announced this year as part of a government effort to get more people into the spotlight.

Research has found that around nine in 10 NHS dental practices are not accepting new adult patients, leaving around one in five people without care.

Last year a Commons health committee published a report concluding that NHS dentistry was ‘totally unacceptable in the 21st century’ and had led to some patients having their own teeth removed with pliers.

In February, the government unveiled its emergency plan to improve dental care, which also included £20,000 financial incentives for dentists who move to poorly serviced areas.

BDA chairman Eddie Crouch (pictured) said: ‘Any MP who bragged about these vans to their constituents will have to wait for the ‘non-van solutions’ this government can come up with’

In February, the government unveiled its emergency plan to improve dental care, which also included £20,000 financial incentives for dentists who move to poorly serviced areas

It offered one-off bonuses of up to £50 for treating patients who had been waiting for at least two years for dental care from the NHS.

However, The Mail on Sunday has seen documents showing that the plan to use so-called dental vans is now under discussion.

A tender document published by NHS England last month said there was ‘limited availability’ of dental vans, as well as dentists to drive them.

It added that the NHS was now exploring ‘non-van solutions’ to work alongside the vehicles.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said the revelations were a ‘new low’ for the government, which it said is failing to tackle Britain’s dental crisis.

“Any MP who bragged about these vans to their constituents will have to wait for the ‘non-van solutions’ this government can come up with,” said BDA chairman Eddie Crouch.

‘This is pure farce. The Prime Minister promised to restore NHS dentistry.

“The reality is a plan without new money, without ambition, and now there are no more vans.”

Research has found that around nine in ten NHS dental practices are not accepting new adult patients, leaving around one in five people without care (stock image)

Last year a House of Commons health committee published a report concluding that NHS dentistry was ‘totally unacceptable in the 21st century’ and had led to some patients having their own teeth removed with pliers (stock image)

Visiting an NHS dentist is not free, but is highly subsidized by the government, making it significantly cheaper than private dental care.

In England, NHS patients pay £25.80 for a check, scaling and polishing (if necessary) and any x-rays. If they went private, they would pay £40 to £75 for the check, a further £90 to £130 for scales and polishing and £10 to £20 for each x-ray – potentially running up a bill of £225. .

For fillings or root canal treatment, the NHS surcharge in England is approximately £70. Private root canal treatments cost an average of €320. However, an increasing number of dentists are no longer taking NHS patients and are instead only offering private treatments.

This is largely due to long-standing problems with the NHS contract for dentists, which the BDA claims does not provide professionals with enough money.

The number of NHS dentists in England is now at its lowest level in a decade, at around 23,000. This is almost 700 fewer than last year and more than 1,100 fewer than before the pandemic.

More than 12 million people did not have access to NHS dental care last year, according to official figures.

The government’s strategy – known as the Dental Recovery Plan – also included adding the naturally occurring mineral fluoride to tap water in parts of the country to prevent tooth decay and encouraging daycare centers to teach children how to brush their teeth.

The NHS is now exploring ‘non-van solutions’ to work alongside the vehicles (stock image)

Data shows there has been little improvement in access to care since the plan was announced. The Mail on Sunday revealed in September 2023 that a record 85,000 patients flooded the NHS 111 helpline seeking urgent dental care. Since then, this figure has continued to rise: in April, more than 88,000 people called NHS 111 with dental problems.

Vijay Sudra, a dentist based in Birmingham, has never seen or heard of dental vans going to the practice anywhere. He said: ‘The government should offer attractive contracts to dentists in deprived parts of the country, instead of using these glorified ice cream vans.’

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We are fully committed to rolling out dental vans as part of our plans to improve access for patients in areas where it is harder to get an appointment, including rural and coastal communities.

‘Through our dental recovery plan, we are boosting the sector and creating an additional 2.5 million appointments through initiatives such as financial incentives for dentists taking on new patients and £20,000 golden hellos for those who start working in disadvantaged areas.’