Dental crisis deepens in Dumfries and Galloway

One of the two dentists at Great King Street Dental in Dumfries has now made the decision to end their NHS services for over 18’s, affecting almost 2,000

The NHS dental crisis in Dumfries and Galloway escalated this week when almost 2,000 more adult patients were given three months de-registration notice.

It is now estimated that, during the last two years, the figure for those aged over 18 across the region left without an NHS dentist has escalated to 36,000 people.

Practices in Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart, Annan and Langholm have either closed or de-registered patients through a switch to private.

One Tuesday, it was announced that one of the two dentists at Great King Street Dental in Dumfries has now made the decision to end their NHS services for over 18’s.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s director of dentistry, Alison Milne, confirmed they’d been notified which means almost 2,000 adults will now add to the list seeking alternative provision.

She said: “Unfortunately, many will be aware that there are no dentists within the region currently accepting new NHS registrations.

“We fully recognise the frustration very likely to be felt by these patients, as experienced by many others who have faced a similar situation in recent years.”

It comes on the back of last month’s revelation that Dumfries and Galloway patients also waited more than four times as long in 2023/2024 compared with four years ago for NHS dental surgery.

South of Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth was quick to raise concerns to the latest deregistrations. He said: “This is terrible news but, sadly, no-one in our region will be remotely surprised that once again thousands of people are losing their access to NHS dentistry.

“NHS dentistry in Dumfries and Galloway has been, and remains, in crisis.”

He added: “Even more patients in Dumfries will now have to join many others across the region in either having to pay for private care or try to find another dentist that provides NHS care outwith the region. It is effectively the privatisation of NHS care in Dumfries and Galloway, which is completely unacceptable.”

Blaiming the Scottish Government for “failing to wake up to the growing dental crisis”, he suggested the root cause is almost no EU dentists coming to the UK anymore since Brexit, and Holyrood’s “failure to properly fund dentists” and he warned: “It won’t be the last. I expect many others to follow. It is only a matter of time before no adult in our region has NHS dental care.”

In Dumfries and Galloway, health bosses hope a record number of trainee dentists will help tackle the crisis.

The NHS is providing 12 new places for dentists, as well as tutors and support staff – making it the biggest outreach dental training facility in Scotland at the Dumfries Dental Centre at Mountainhall.

Director of Public Health Valerie White said: “We have seen some success recently through the expansion of the dental outreach programme for the region.

“These undergraduate students are able to offer a single course of treatment to patients who are not currently registered with an NHS dentist, with treatment free of charge, and the waiting list for this is currently open and accepting new patients.

“Members of the public who are not registered with a dentist can self refer online at: dg.dentalhelpline@nhs.scot.

“However, while this is a very positive development, we know that this does not address the issue of providing people with regular, ongoing access to an NHS dentist. We continue work to encourage and support dentists to provide NHS general dental services and are working closely with Scottish Government colleagues on these matters.”

• For anyone not registered with a dentist experiencing, dental pain, swelling or dental trauma, emergency care is provided by calling the Dental Helpline: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, at 01387 245532 or 6pm to 8am at NHS 24 on 111; Saturday and Sunday at NHS 24 on 111.

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