New reforms mean dentists in England will be paid more to see patients in need of urgent treatment.
It comes after a think tank suggested dental vouchers worth £150 a year should be introduced in an attempt to “end the postcode lottery” of care.
The Policy Exchange think tank said the move could “save NHS dentistry” and “fix our national smile”.
It said that in the two years to March 2024, just 40% of adults (18 million people) and 57% of children (6.6 million) accessed an NHS dentist.
The government’s dental reforms could help millions of patients and save each one around £225, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The changes will allow patients needing urgent treatment to get appointments more easily, with dentists incentivised to offer urgent care for issues such as severe pain, infections, or trauma to teeth on the NHS.
Those needing complex care, such as treatment for severe gum disease or decay in several teeth, will also be able to book a single package of treatment – rather than it being spread over several appointments.
The changes are part of the government’s wider plan for NHS dentistry, which includes more urgent appointments and supervised toothbrushing for three to five-year-olds.
But Gareth Lyon, head of health and social care at Policy Exchange, said NHS dentistry “is in a truly shocking state”.
“A majority of people are not receiving NHS dental support at all – including millions of children,” he added.
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However, the British Dental Association (BDA) rejected the Policy Exchange suggestion of a universal £150 voucher, with chair Eddie Crouch saying it came “with the sound of barrels being scraped”.
“NHS desperately needs investment, but this policy would not end dental deserts. It could easily mean spending more money on less access,” he said.
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Last week, figures revealed levels of tooth decay among adults in England are similar to those seen in the late 1990s.
The Adult Oral Health Survey found more than four in 10 people (41%) had obvious signs of rotten teeth when examined, an increase from 28% in 2009 and similar levels in 1998.
When using the most sensitive measure of tooth decay, which also assesses enamel decay, almost two-thirds (64%) had decay in one tooth or more.
