The council that represents UK dental schools has said that with rising demand for dental professionals and growing regional disparities in access to care, the UK is facing a critical shortfall in meeting its dental needs. Therefore, expanding training capacity is a crucial step to securing the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry.
The DSC’s position is outlined in ‘Fixing NHS Dentistry’, endorsed by all UK dental schools, which outlines key recommendations to address the current workforce shortages. These recommendations include:
Workforce expansion
The council has said the government must commit to increasing UK training places in dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental therapy. In 2023, over 10,000 applicants competed for just 940 dentistry places in UK dental schools, demonstrating a significant interest in mainly UK school leavers in pursuing careers in dentistry. Dental hygiene and dental therapy places are even more competitive.
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