Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, has criticized the slow rollout of dental vans and bonuses aimed at attracting dentists to underserved areas, questioning the feasibility of achieving the recovery plan's goal of 1.5 million additional treatments.

The NAO found that since 2019/20, one in every 50 dentists has ceased providing NHS services, with many opting for private work instead.

Since the recovery plan's launch, there has been a consistent decline in the number of new patients treated each month compared to the previous year.

In light of these challenges, Health Minister Stephen Kinnock has acknowledged the inherited difficulties in NHS dentistry and emphasized the new government's commitment to implementing reforms to improve access and increase appointment availability.

The outgoing government significantly underfunded NHS dentistry, resulting in a real terms cut of £555 million in 2023/24 compared to 2019/20, which left nearly £500 million of the dental budget unspent in 2022/23 due to recruitment challenges.

Consequently, government spending on NHS dentistry in England has decreased by £500 million, leading to a reduction of 483 dentists providing NHS care.

The pandemic exacerbated the situation, with dental appointments plummeting from 38.8 million in 2019/20 to just 12.3 million in 2020/21, and recovery efforts have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, falling short by 4.7 million appointments.

Currently, an estimated 13 million adults in England, or one in four adults, are in need of NHS dental services, many of whom face barriers to access due to distance or a lack of available providers.

The British Dental Association has labeled the recovery plan as inadequate, criticizing the previous government for neglecting the deepening crisis in NHS dentistry, which they describe as an existential threat.

The National Audit Office has reported a worsening crisis in NHS dentistry, following a recovery plan initiated by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in February 2024.

Despite the recovery plan's initiative to offer bonuses for treating new patients, the number of treatments has fallen short of expectations, raising concerns about the plan's overall effectiveness.