Have you been able to book a check-up with an NHS dentist recently?

Was your last dentist appointment a distant pre-pandemic memory?

Like many aspects of routine healthcare, millions of dental appointments were cancelled or delayed due to restrictions – with 38 million being ‘lost’ since March 2020 in England alone, according to the British Dental Association (BDA).

NHS dental services have now been awarded some extra funding to help get things back up to speed and tackle the backlog, with extended appointments being offered in evenings and at weekends in some regions.We all know it’s important to have our teeth regularly checked and it is especially important if you have noticed any of these signs lately…

• Bleeding gums when you brush
• Holes or chips in the teeth
• Lumps or swellings in the mouth or tongue
• Toothache, even if it’s just niggling pain that comes and goes
• Sore patches around the gums, inside the lips or tongue (ulcers that don’t heal after 10 days should be checked)
• Teeth have become more sensitive

“It’s a common misconception that if you don’t have any tooth pain, you don’t need to see a dentist,” says Stephen Barter, Head of Clinical Operations at Bupa Dental Care. “Unfortunately, many issues that need dental treatment don’t cause pain in the early stages – and by the time they do, the problem may be much worse to treat. Gum disease is a big example of this – causing bone loss around your teeth, without you feeling any pain until it is too late.”

General advice is to have a check-up every six months, although some people may need them more often than others. Your dentist can advise what’s best for you. At a stretch, don’t leave it longer than two years – and remember it’s not just your teeth that your dentist will be looking at.

“Your dentist can spot a whole lot during a regular check-up beyond the state of your teeth and gums, such as anaemia, Crohn’s disease, gastric reflux, leukaemia, and more. That’s one of the reasons dentists recommend you have a regular check-up, even if you think your teeth are fine,” says Barter.

But as more and more backlogs with NHS dentists are reported, are you able to make an appointment? Have you been left with no choice but to register with a private practice?