Toothless in England

🦷 "Be Brave. Don't be ashamed. Tell your story." Danielle Watts, a long-suffering dental patient who gained the confidence to tell her horrifying and painful story through our campaign, has a simple message for patients denied access to NHS treatment - a consequence of a government-engineered dental crisis: To make our voices heard clearly in Westminster, we need to unite. Share your story with Toothless in England! 📨 email@toothlessinengland.org #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷 “The current date is March 10, 2026, and for the DHSC and Government to say they will fix the dental crisis by the end of this parliament is to say that patients should ‘put up or shut up’ and suffer. It is to say to everyone that we’ll fix things in our own time and not recognise the consequences of their intransigence. Well, Toothless in England won’t stand for that.” facebook.com/share/v/1HT4Rr… #nhsdentist #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷 TOOTHLESS IN ENGLAND SUBMITS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS TO EVERY NHS INTEGRATED CARE BOARD IN ENGLAND Toothless in England, the national grassroots campaign for “An NHS dentist for everyone”, has submitted identical Freedom of Information requests to all 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across England. The requests focus on how NHS dental funding is actually being used amid the ongoing national dental crisis. Key questions cover: • The total value of dental contract underspend (UDA clawback) reclaimed by each ICB in financial years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, and a breakdown of exactly how that reclaimed money was spent (including emergency provision, contract uplifts, workforce incentives, consultancy, or returned to NHS England). • The number of government-funded emergency dental appointments commissioned and delivered, plus how many practices took part. • Funding allocated for mobile dental services and whether any services were actually commissioned or delivered. • The number of NHS dental contracts resized, varied or reduced due to under-delivery, and the total UDAs removed or reallocated. Mark Jones, Campaign Coordinator for Toothless in England, said: “Millions of pounds meant for NHS dental care are being clawed back from dentists every year while patients endure pain, children are having teeth extracted in hospital, and millions cannot get an appointment. We are simply asking every ICB: where is the money going? Patients have a right to know whether funding is reaching the frontline or being diverted elsewhere.” All responses will be published publicly as they are received, creating the first comprehensive national picture of local dental commissioning since the new government took office. Toothless in England will use the data to hold ICBs and government to account and to strengthen the case for immediate, fully funded reform of NHS dentistry. ENDS #nhsdentist #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

Statement from Mark Jones, Founder, Toothless in England: “This announcement falls well short of the bold, urgent action that patients across England have been demanding for years. It is a belated correction of a flawed policy rather than the comprehensive rescue NHS dentistry requires. We have consistently highlighted how the narrow ‘urgent-only’ definition excluded countless people suffering from severe decay, pain, and deteriorating oral health. The government’s own admission that this approach was nonsensical confirms what patients, campaigners, and many in the profession have said all along. While any expansion of access is welcome, and the reported 1.8 million additional treatments represent real progress for some, this remains a statistic against a backdrop where millions are still unable to secure routine or preventive care. The Minister rightly condemns DIY dentistry as unacceptable – yet the changes announced will not take full effect until April 2026, leaving far too many in ongoing pain and distress in the meantime. This is not spin; it is insufficient scale and pace in the face of a profound crisis. Patients and families deserve more than incremental adjustments. The government must now commit to genuine, sustainable reform: adequate funding to make NHS work viable for dentists, a redesigned contract that attracts and retains the workforce, emergency measures such as mobile dental clinics to reach underserved areas, and ultimately a clear entitlement to NHS dental care for every person in England. Until these steps are taken with the urgency the situation demands, the human cost – preventable extractions, sleepless nights in agony, and desperate acts of self-treatment that amount to self-harm – will continue. The time for half-measures has passed. The government must deliver the full rescue plan patients need or accept responsibility for allowing this national scandal to persist. Toothless in England remains ready and willing to partner with government, sharing frontline insights to help focus and accelerate the rescue of NHS dentistry.” 2/2 #nhsdentist #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷 TOOTHLESS IN ENGLAND responds to DHSC News [21-02-2026 gov.uk/government/new… ‘Patients across the country to benefit from improved access to dental appointments’] Toothless in England, the volunteer-led grassroots campaign demanding “An NHS dentist for everyone”, has reviewed the Department of Health and Social Care’s announcement that 1.8 million additional dental treatments have been delivered in the first seven months of the financial year and that the scope of extra appointments is being broadened beyond the narrow clinical definition of “urgent”. We welcome the decision to widen access. For too long, patients with advanced decay, rotting teeth, or other serious but non-“urgent” conditions have been turned away, forcing many into desperation and DIY interventions. This change, following advice from the Chief Dental Officer, removes an absurd and cruel barrier that our campaign and thousands of patient stories have repeatedly highlighted. Any increase in appointments is a step forward, and we note the accompanying focus on prevention, supervised toothbrushing, and future contract reforms. However, these measures remain incremental and fall far short of the comprehensive rescue NHS dentistry desperately needs. Millions of people across England still cannot access routine or preventive care. The 1.8 million figure, while welcome, must be seen in the context of a recent that has been systematically starved for well over a decade. Without substantial new funding, a fundamental redesign of the dental contract to make NHS work sustainable and attractive, urgent workforce expansion, and immediate solutions such as mobile dental clinics for rural and coastal “dental deserts”, this broadening risks treating a terminal illness with nothing more than a spoonful of sugar. We urge the government to move beyond warm words and deliver real capacity, transparency (including monthly published data), and a legal entitlement to NHS dental care so that no patient is ever again forced to choose between pain and self-extraction. 1/2 #nhsdentist #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷 "Enough excuses – the government and the ICBs must fix the access crisis now, or own the pain they’re inflicting on the next generation.” Increase in preventable tooth extractions in children a 'national scandal', says Mark Jones, from Toothless in England and Toothless in Suffolk @SuffolkNewswire suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmund… #nhsdentistry #dentalcrisis

🦷 Responding to @SkyNews latest report into the dental crisis, Toothless in England demanded HM Treasury put money on the table to fix NHS dentistry and reminded them that £50m a year is spent treating children in A&E, so some of the money is already there to bring oral health care into the 21st century. #NHSdentist #DIYdentistry #dentalcrisis #oralhealth #NHSdentistry

On @Skynews this morning interviewee from group @englandsteeth says they had regular meetings with the last government about the dentistry crisis but this (Labour) gov seems reluctant to engage. Just think...a better response from the Tories than from Labour. @wesstreeting.

🦷 @SkyNews revisited the dental crisis that has gone unchecked for years. news.sky.com/story/nhs-dent… We’ll be commenting on this live on Sky News later at 11.30am this morning. #nhsdentistry #dentalcrisis #toothless

🦷 Lead story on yesterday evening’s @itvanglia. The government announced measures that we welcome, but they really need to pick up the pace of NHS contract reform, provide more funding for NHS dental services, and provide mobile dental clinics for rural and coastal communities. #nhsdentist #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷 @TimesRadio ‘Drive’ covered today’s government announcement with John Pienaar. “Today’s government announcement includes some genuinely welcome steps – making urgent dental appointments easier and strengthening prevention for children – but it falls far short of the comprehensive rescue NHS dentistry needs. Millions of people, including many here in the East of England, are still unable to get routine check-ups and are living in pain. Nothing changes until April next year, so we’re calling for urgent bolder action: a complete redesign of the contract so dentists want to work under it, significant new funding to expand capacity and meet demand, and mobile dental clinics to serve our forgotten rural and coastal communities.” — Mark Jones, Toothless in England. #nhsdentist #nhsdentistry #dentalcrisis

🦷 One of the many things that you could ask him about today’s announcement is why rural and coastal communities aren’t receiving any of the help they desperately need. Mobile dental clinics are best suited to help people who have been cut adrift from accessible dental care services through no fault of their own. x.com/englandsteeth/…

Tomorrow from 9.30am, we’ll question @WesStreeting, the Secretary of State for @DHSCgovuk on the work of the department. Find out more 👇 committees.parliament.uk/event/25897/fo…

@AdrianRamsay 🦷 We'll be on BBC Look East and ITV Anglia News this evening x.com/englandsteeth/…

I’m often first to criticise the Govt on dentistry, but welcome this step. Easier access for urgent care and complex needs is good, but without proper contract reform and funding, NHS dentistry remains broken. Real reform is still urgently needed.

🦷 TOOTHLESS IN ENGLAND RESPONDS TO GOVERNMENT’S NHS DENTISTRY REFORMS: POSITIVE STEPS, BUT FAR FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE RESCUE NEEDED 16 December 2025 – Toothless in England, the grassroots campaign demanding ‘An NHS Dentist for Everyone’, today welcomes several positive elements in the government’s announced reforms to NHS dentistry while warning that they do not yet match the scale or urgency of a national crisis that is leaving millions in pain and unable to access routine care. With implementation delayed until April 2026 and no fully comprehensive strategy to rebuild the service, these changes risk prolonging suffering unless ministers commit to bolder and more immediate action – including a truly workable contract and innovative solutions for underserved communities. Aspects of the plan – such as embedding urgent care in NHS contracts, incentivising treatments for complex issues like gum disease and tooth decay, and expanding prevention through supervised toothbrushing for 3–5-year-olds and water fluoridation – will provide meaningful help for patients with the most acute needs and support better long-term oral health, especially for children. However, Toothless in England emphasises that these changes, while a step forward, fall short of the fundamental overhaul required. Prioritising urgent cases within a constrained budget estimated at around £4 billion shifts resources without significantly expanding overall capacity to meet overwhelming demand, leaving preventive and routine care out of reach for many and perpetuating a cycle of escalating emergencies. The reforms also fail to address the severe geographic inequalities that leave rural and coastal communities effectively abandoned. Measures to support workforce retention through learning, development, and sick leave funding are helpful, but they do not go far enough in attracting new entrants or encouraging those who have left the profession to return. Without a contract that enables dentists to earn a sustainable living while delivering high-quality NHS care, the acknowledged shortage of over 2,500 practitioners in the NHS will continue, leading to further practice closures and long waiting times. “The clock is ticking on this dental crisis – people cannot endure another four months of pain while waiting for these changes to take effect,” said Mark Jones from Toothless in England. “We have heard thousands of distressing stories: families travelling hundreds of miles for emergency treatment, adults forced to extract their own teeth, children facing preventable decay, and patients dying of sepsis and undiagnosed mouth cancer. In rural and coastal areas, many have no local access at all. “At its heart, this is a crisis of capacity utterly failing to keep pace with demand. Simply reallocating limited resources won’t fix it. While we welcome the focus on urgent care and prevention, the government must now go further and faster: urgently redesign the contract to make it attractive to existing dentists, new graduates, and those considering a return – with fair pay, less bureaucracy, and genuine incentives to provide NHS services. We also demand the rapid rollout of mobile NHS dental clinics to deliver essential care directly to rural and coastal communities, ending the scandal of dental deserts.” The campaign notes the consultation received just 2,289 responses and highlights the absence of new measures to extend free care exemptions, reduce patient charges for low-income families, or introduce flexible models such as mobile units. “Patients deserve a comprehensive rescue plan that guarantees access for everyone,” added Mark Jones. “We urge immediate escalation: significantly increase funding to expand capacity, launch a national recruitment and retention drive, deploy mobile dental clinics without delay, and secure universal access to routine dentistry.” Toothless in England invites the public to share their experiences at email@toothlessinengland.org, contact their MPs, and support the campaign to secure the bold reform NHS dentistry urgently needs. ENDS #nhsdentistry #dentalcrisis #toothlessinengland

'Enshrine a legal right to an NHS dentist'. I've not seen a dentist in over 6 years and I'm not alone. 😡 #Dentist #NHSDentistry #Toothless #NHS #Health @englandsteeth

🦷 Toothless in England Press Release: 15 December 2025 Heartbreaking Healthwatch report (HW report 15th December 2025 - tinyurl.com/HWrep) lays bare the unbearable pain of NHS dental crisis – Toothless in England demands immediate government action to end this suffering Toothless in England, the volunteer-led grassroots campaign fighting for "An NHS dentist for everyone", today responds with profound anger and sorrow to Healthwatch England's devastating report on urgent dental care, published on 15 December 2025. This report is not just statistics – it is a cry from the heart of millions enduring unimaginable agony because successive governments have abandoned NHS dentistry. Families are shattered: parents watching their children suffer in silence, individuals hiding smiles out of shame, people driven to desperate acts like pulling their own teeth with pliers in their bathrooms, or turning to dangerous sources for relief. Lives are being ruined – mental health crumbling under constant pain, finances destroyed by unaffordable private care, and dignity stripped away in a nation that once promised health care free at the point of need. The Healthwatch findings expose a humanitarian crisis: - A shocking 45% surge in dental-related A&E visits since 2019/20, as desperate patients flood hospitals for help that should be available at a dentist. - People in deprived communities now 67% more likely to need urgent treatment – inequality that punishes the most vulnerable hardest. - Urgent care too often limited to short-term patches like antibiotics or extractions, leaving patients in limbo with no follow-up or lasting relief. - Patchwork provision across regions, forcing exhausted individuals to make hundreds of calls or travel impossible distances, with no guarantees even at weekends. Mark Jones, Campaign Co-ordinator for Toothless in England, said: "Reading this report breaks my heart – it echoes the thousands of stories we've heard: the tears of parents whose children haven't seen a dentist in years, the despair of people in excruciating pain resorting to DIY horrors because the system has failed them. This is not just a dental crisis; it's a betrayal of the NHS promise, causing needless suffering, preventable deaths from sepsis and mouth cancer, and untold damage to mental and physical health. "The government's talk of 700,000 extra urgent appointments rings hollow without real transparency, adequate funding, and root-and-branch reform. We stand with Healthwatch in demanding monthly data publication, national consistency, and clear patient information – but we cannot stop there. "This must be the wake-up call. The government needs to reform the broken contract trapping dentists, enshrine a legal right to an NHS dentist, eliminate dental deserts, and restore preventative care for all. No more excuses. No more pain. The people of England deserve an NHS dentist for everyone – before one more life is devastated." Toothless in England will not rest until this injustice ends. We call on everyone enduring this crisis to share your stories, stand with us, and demand change. Contact us at email@toothlessinengland.org ENDS #NHSdentistry #dentalcrisis

🦷 Front page of today’s @huntspost #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷🚨 Cambridgeshire’s NHS dental crisis exposed 🚨 – and it’s the same story across England: •14,195 emergency appointments promised •Only 4,226 delivered •Just 16 of 87 practices took part •Patients travelling 200 miles or pulling their own teeth •NHS admits: “We will never know the exact need” From Cornwall to Cumbria, rural and coastal England is toothless. Scrap the toxic 2006 contract NOW.
 Deliver the 700,000 urgent appointments promised.
 Every community deserves an NHS dentist! Join the fight 🦷🔥
 READ: morningstaronline.co.uk/article/toothl… Toothless in Cambridge #FixNHSDentistry #ToothlessInEngland #dentalcrisis #nhsdentistry

🦷 Four years ago today – December 2021 – @BBCTheOneShow The One Show visited Bury St Edmunds to highlight the growing crisis in NHS dentistry. They heard heartbreaking stories of people resorting to DIY dentistry and charities, set up to help people in developing countries, stepping in to provide emergency care right here in England. Fast forward to December 2025, and for millions of families the situation remains desperately bleak. Successive governments have tried “recovery plans” with new patient premiums, golden hellos – but as MPs have confirmed this year, these initiatives have comprehensively failed. Access is still below pre-pandemic levels, fewer dentists are doing NHS work, and people continue to suffer in pain or turn to desperate measures. Enough is enough. Our simple demand remains: an NHS dentist for everyone. Watch the original report and share your story if you’re still waiting. facebook.com/englandsteeth/… #DentalCrisis #NHSDentist #NHSDentistry #Dentist #ToothlessInEngland

@SKinnock 🦷 Hi Stephen. Our assessment is somewhat less optimistic. x.com/englandsteeth/…

Our new Neighbourhood Health Centres will offer treatment minutes from home instead of patients having to travel miles to often hard-to-reach hospitals. This is the difference a Labour Government makes.

🦷 PRESS RELEASE 26 NOVEMBER 2025 TOOTHLESS IN ENGLAND: The Budget just pulled another tooth out of the NHS Today the Chancellor stood up and delivered 80 pages of plans for Britain’s future. She found money for roads, rail, hospitals, schools, AI zones and even a dry dock in Scotland. And for the 13 million adults who can’t see an NHS dentist? Absolutely nothing. Not a word. Not a penny. Not a flicker of recognition that millions of people are living in daily pain, pulling their own teeth, supergluing crowns back in, or simply giving up and going without. Mark Jones, founder of Toothless in England – the campaign group set up in 2021 demanding ‘An NHS dentist For Everyone’, said: “While the Chancellor was handing out hundreds here and billions there, she walked straight past the biggest everyday health crisis in the country. Thirteen million people locked out of care. Ninety-seven per cent of new patients turned away. Children having rotten teeth ripped out under general anaesthetic because prevention has collapsed. This isn’t bad luck — it’s a choice. Today the Government chose to leave us in agony.” The facts the Budget ignored: • 13 million adults in England — more than one in four — now have unmet need for NHS dental care, up from 12 million last year (British Dental Association analysis of the 2025 GP Patient Survey). • 97% of adults without a dentist who try to book an NHS appointment fail (Office for National Statistics, Experiences of NHS Healthcare Services in England, October 2024). • Up to 96% of practices are closed to new adult patients (British Dental Association investigation of more than 6,500 practices, November 2024). • Only 40% of adults saw an NHS dentist in the last two years — down from nearly half before the pandemic (NHS England Dental Statistics 2024-25). • 483 fewer dentists are doing any NHS work than in 2019 (NHS England Dental Statistics 2024-25). • Over 52,000 people went to A&E with dental abscesses last year — 50% more than in 2019 (NHS England data). • 21,162 children aged 5–9 had teeth removed in hospital in 2024-25 — still the number one reason children are admitted (NHS England, November 2025). • A child in the poorest areas is now more than twice as likely to have rotting teeth as one in the richest (32.2% vs 13.6% of 5-year-olds, National Dental Epidemiology Programme 2023-24). Mark Jones added: “The government promised to rescue NHS dentistry. Instead they’ve left the waiting room light on but locked the door. We will not let this betrayal go unanswered. We’ll continue to fight for oral health justice in every dental desert, in every community, until this Government finally opens its eyes — and its wallet.” Toothless in England is demanding: 1. An emergency £1 billion rescue package in the next financial year 2. Publication of the long-overdue new NHS dental contract 3. A legal guarantee that every child in England sees an NHS dentist at least once a year The fight for a dentist in every community just got louder. ENDS #Budget2026 #nhsdentistry #dentalcrisis