Dental care crisis: 1,400 people contact Department of Health each year seeking emergency dental treatment
Some 1,400 people contact the Department of Health every year seeking help to access emergency dental treatment, it has been revealed.
The Department of Health (DOH) figures come after the News Letter reported this week that less than 44% of adults in Northern Ireland are currently registered with a dentist - and that according to the British Dental Association (BDA, no practice anywhere in Northern Ireland is currently accepting NHS patients.
The DOH has also told the News Letter some 400 people a year contact it asking for help in registering with a dentist.
It also confirmed that it holds no information on how many dentists in NI are currently accepting new NHS patients - despite the growing crisis in accessing NHS dentistry.
The information came after reports of a surge in pop-up dentistry consultations in hotels across Northern Ireland which are reportedly being used to reach new customers for treatment overseas.
The BDA said typical NI practices are now delivering NHS care “at a loss”, and told the News Letter earlier this week that a promised Cost-of-Service review from the Health Minister must form the evidence base for “a new, fair and genuinely sustainable dental payment model”.
Responding to questions from the News Letter, the DOH was candid about the crisis.
"The number of patients registered with Health Service dentists has declined across all parts of Northern Ireland, with the scale and pace of this decline presenting significant challenges for both patients and the long-term sustainability of the service," it said.
It also added: "Dental practices manage their own workloads, so no information is held centrally in relation to whether practices are currently registering new Health Service patients, or how many they are able to register."
The DOH also confirmed the scale of the problem with clear figures.
"The Department receive approximately 2000 queries directly from patients each year in relation to dental care. During the 2025/26 financial year approximately 20% of these calls were in relation to registering as a Health Service dental patient and 70% concerned access to emergency dental care."
It noted that it had made an £8m investment in General Dental Services in April to help stabilise the service.
The News Letter pressed the DOH over several days this week for an update on the Cost-Of-Service review.
On Wednesday it issued a general press release, confirming that the Cost-Of-Service review had now been published - having been completed some three months ago.
Health Minister Robbie Butler said: "Transparency is important, and I believe it is right that the findings of the review are published."
The level of investment identified by the review is not currently affordable, he said, but he has asked officials to identify a range of options for the way ahead.
In response, the BDA said it welcomed signs that the Executive is "ready to act".
Ciara Gallagher, Chair of the BDA’s Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, said: “The authorities have recognised this report cannot be a purely academic exercise. Now it’s published, the focus must be acting on its conclusions.”
DUP Health spokesperson and Upper Bann MLA Diane Dodds said the report confirms that NHS dentistry is in “a deepening crisis”.
She added: “It costs practices around £145 per hour to provide Health Service care, yet current funding delivers only £90. That gap is driving dentists away from Health Service work and leaving patients unable to access even basic treatment.” Only 44% of adults are now registered with a Health Service dentist, she noted.
"In Upper Bann alone, 33,923 registrations lapsed during 2024–25. The inability to find a dentist is now one of the most common issues raised with my constituency office.” Publication of the report is welcome, but it has been sitting with the Department since July, she said.
"Neither the report nor the Minister’s statement contains a firm commitment, funding package or timetable for action. Another process will not save Health Service dentistry unless it produces urgent and tangible results. “The Minister must now state when fees will be rebased, what immediate support will be provided to struggling practices and how he intends to reverse the collapse in patient registrations. “Regular dental care is also essential for identifying serious conditions, including mouth cancer. Without urgent action, the Health Service dental system will continue to disappear before our eyes.”
Meanwhile, North Antrim MP Jim Allister has appealed to Minister Butler to address the "dire" state of dental hygiene provision in Northern Ireland. He said there are 2.1 times as many hygienists in England per capita as in Northern Ireland.
For advice on registering with a dentist see: https://bso.hscni.net/directorates/operations/family-practitioner-services/directorates-operations-family-practitioner-services-information-unit/general-dental-services-statistics/