RISHI SUNAK must drop any pretence that NHS dentistry is on the road to recovery and finally deliver a meaningful rescue package, the British Dental Association (BDA) has warned as the exodus from the service reaches new heights.

A Freedom of Information request by the body, published today, reveals the lowest number of dentists available in a decade, in what the association called a “reality check on months of misleading claims” from the Prime Minister.

The BDA found that 23,577 dentists performed NHS work in the 2022-23 financial year, down 695 on the previous year, and over 1,100 down on numbers pre-pandemic.

It brings the workforce to levels not seen since 2012-13.

The figures are at odds with repeated claims from Mr Sunak that recent reforms have boosted dentist numbers and arguments by ministers made to the current official inquiry into the crisis.

Practices are struggling to fill vacancies, which means they face fines for not hitting their NHS contractual targets, according to the BDA — it estimates that practices will have to pay back more than £400 million for not hitting targets this year.

The BDA is calling for a new higher minimum “unit of dental activity” (UDA) value, which it says could help stop dentists having to treat NHS patients at a loss.

“A minimum UDA level of £23 was rolled out in October, lower than the current patient charge level of £25.80, and below the level required for most practices to cover their costs or attract new dentists,” it said.

BDA general dentist practice committee chairman Shawn Charlwood said: “Government needs to drop the spin, accept the facts and provide a rescue package to keep this service afloat.

“NHS dentistry is haemorrhaging talent, and further tweaks to a broken system will not stem the flow.

“The PM once called for this budget to be ring-fenced. We face an access crisis, and with hundreds of millions set to be pulled away, funds must be put to work solving these problems.

“Ministers have a choice. They can help thousands of struggling practices fill vacancies and see patients or just pass by on the other side.”

Toothless In England, the campaign group demanding an NHS dentist for everyone, said: “Children, adults and the elderly are left hopelessly abandoned and forgotten by the NHS and government.

“Patients who contact us are often in extreme pain. They’re getting increasingly angered by the lack of accessible dental care.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The British Dental Association’s analysis may be based on incomplete data. We are working to improve access to NHS dental care and have already increased the funding practices receive for high needs patients to encourage dentists to provide more NHS treatments.

“We have also amended the guidelines so dental therapists and hygienists can deliver more treatments as well as making it easier to recruit dentists from overseas, and we will be setting out further measures to improve access shortly.”