Calls for Northern Irish government to ensure Health Service dentistry survives

18 months on from the start of this pandemic, signatories state that many are now burned out and utterly demoralised, and that the present situation in Health Service dentistry has become intolerable, and unstainable. Dental professionals report they have been working harder than ever to meet more stringent infection prevention control measures but remain “hamstrung” in the number of patients they can see in a day.

Practices are now facing huge challenges trying to recruit associates and dental nurses to provide Health Service care, and the growing public access problems that have resulted post-covid. Health Service dentistry has been on a downward trajectory for over a decade, with the service becoming increasingly financially unviable in its own right.