Dental Workforce Faces a Retirement ‘Time-Bomb’
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- Published: Tuesday, 06 May 2025 12:03
- Written by Peter Ingle
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At first glance the recent statistics provided by the GDC from the 2024 registrant data give a positive picture of the UK dental workforce. As recently reported in GDPUK ,there were increases in the numbers of almost all categories of registrant, including dentists.
With the access crisis showing no signs of improvement and regular reports of practices closing because they cannot fill their vacancies for dentists, the increase of just over 2% in dentist numbers is most welcome. But according to recent research from the House of Commons Library, there is a “ticking time- bomb,” as many dentists approach retirement.
With 4,079 NHS dentists aged 55 and over, one in eight are approaching retirement age. However, in some areas this proportion is higher, for example in North Lincolnshire it is nearly a third, with 22 out of the 67 dentists there aged 55 and over. Similarly, in Norfolk and Waveney, 91 out of 328 (28%) are over 55, and in North East Lincolnshire it is 26% (19 of 74). Many of these areas are already dental deserts.
This has been seized on by the Liberal Democrats who have been showing a good deal of interest in dental issues. This is fertile ground since it is an area where both of the main parties have so far failed to put a stop to the regular stories about the collapse of NHS dentistry.
Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesperson, Helen Morgan, said: ‘We have heard countless harrowing stories of people resorting to almost medieval methods of using pliers to pull their own teeth out as the dental care they desperately need simply does not exist. This is nothing short of a national scandal.’
A separate written parliamentary question by the party had shown that between 2021 and 2024, there were 329 NHS dental contracts handed back by providers.
Helen Morgan added: ‘This dark situation is at risk of getting even worse with this ticking timebomb of dentists approaching retirement age. The Conservatives’ shameful record brought us to this point but the Labour government’s kicking of the can down the road is simply not sustainable.
‘We need to see ministers urgently enact the Liberal Democrats plan to end dental deserts and rescue countless communities from these great dearths in dental provision. Only then will we put the days of DIY dentistry behind us.’
With Labour struggling to improve the situation that they inherited, it may be the Liberal Democrats who will be most vociferous about dentistry during this parliament.
The raw statistics may not give the full picture. Whilst there is some evidence from the GDC figures that dentists are working a little longer before leaving the register, since the current cohort of over 55 year old dentists qualified there have been major demographic changes as well as social ones. Comparatively recent graduates may be more inclined to take career breaks, be willing to put lifestyle ahead of hours worked, and be less focussed on their productivity.
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