The Ely Standard is publishing a Special Report to look into the lack of NHS dental care for individuals living in and around East Cambridgeshire.

We will be looking to find the latest and most up-to-date facts and statistics regarding the issue for the area as currently, it has been hard to get figures after March 2022.

We will also be revealing our readers' stories on what the continuing lack of NHS dentists means for them and their families, as well as talking to healthcare professionals for their advice on the matter.

According to reports, the number of people unable to book an NHS dentist appointment across the UK is increasing.

The latest figures we have found so far show that nine in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK are currently not accepting new adult patients for treatment.

Eight in 10 of these are no longer taking on children as NHS patients either.

In Cambridgeshire, many residents have reported having to wait months for routine check-ups for themselves or their children.

Many others have not been able to register with an NHS dentist or have been unexpectedly taken off their registers without notice.

In East Cambridgeshire, a report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) revealed that the area is one of 10 in England where the number of dentists is at their lowest, with 0.078 dentists per 1,000 people.

During our special reports, we are hoping to find out just how many dentists in East Cambridgeshire have spaces for NHS patients.

We have been in contact with both Healthwatch Cambridgeshire, as well as the British Dental Association (BDA).

The BDA’s latest dental statistics for 2021/22 show that in Cambridgeshire 32 per cent of adults saw a dentist in the last 24 months, and 45 per cent of children were seen in the last 12 months.

That data compares to 45.6 per cent of adults and 57.6 per cent of children in the same time period in the last full year pre pandemic (2018/19).

According to Healthwatch Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, between the months of October 2021 and March 2022, more than 270 people contacted the health and social care champion about their experiences with dental care.

More than four out of five revealed they were struggling to access timely care.

In January, an extra £50m was offered to dentists across England to fund additional evening and weekend appointments if they wanted to, but only 10% of dentists in our area expressed an interest, and Healthwatch has no evidence of any take-up.

In coming special reports, we will be expanding further on this research, and will be digging deeper to find out what the situation is really like for the people in East Cambridgeshire who just want to be able to see a dentist.

If you have any relevant information about the above, or would like to give us your opinion on the lack of NHS dental appointments in Cambridgeshire, email katie.woodcock@archant.co.uk.