Access to NHS Dental Care: Local Voices in Luton Echo National Concerns

NHS dental care remains one of the biggest challenges for people in Luton — with many residents telling us they face long waits, rejected registrations, and a lack of clarity about where to turn when urgent treatment is needed. Our latest report captures this reality through the voices of 253 residents and feedback from 35 dental practices across the borough .

At the national level, Healthwatch England’s recent blog, What are people telling us about urgent dental care?, shows that people across the country are often forced to turn to emergency services because they simply cannot access routine NHS dental care. This shift toward crisis-driven care highlights a system under pressure — and Luton’s experience reflects this all too clearly.

What Luton’s Residents Are Telling Us

Our local research, gathered through community events and direct calls to dental practices, paints a clear picture:

• 58% of residents said accessing NHS dental care was difficult or very difficult .
• 66% of practices reported they were not accepting new NHS patients, with another 20% accepting children only .
• While access is limited, the quality of care remains strong — 70% of patients rated their treatment as helpful or very helpful once they were seen .

One resident shared:

“Once I was finally seen, my dentist was brilliant — but it took months to get an appointment.” 

This disconnect between treatment satisfaction and accessibility is a consistent theme across both the local and national data.

What Healthwatch England Found Nationally

In Healthwatch England’s December 2025 report, people across England reported:

• Delays or inability to book urgent NHS dental care.
• Urgent care often being used to treat issues that should have been caught earlier — indicating a failure of preventive access.
• Limited treatment options in urgent care settings, with extractions or antibiotics offered instead of comprehensive dental work.

➡️ Read the full national blog here: Healthwatch England - Urgent Dental Care

What This Means for Luton

Together, our local findings and national trends make one thing clear: access to NHS dental care is in crisis, both in Luton and across the country.

People are being left to:

• Search for months without finding a dentist.
• Rely on private care they can’t afford.
• Use emergency routes not meant for long-term solutions.
• Live in pain or discomfort while waiting.

At Healthwatch Luton, we’re committed to:

• Continuing to monitor NHS dental availability across the borough.
• Sharing updated access information with the public.
• Working with local commissioners to review capacity and the distribution of NHS contracts.
• Ensuring the voices of residents are heard at every level of planning and policy-making.

We also echo Healthwatch England’s call for national action to:

• Make dental care more accessible.
• Provide clearer guidance on how to get urgent or routine treatment.
• Invest in workforce and contract models that reflect public need.

Read the Reports

📄 Access to NHS Dental Care in Luton – Full Report (PDF)

🔗 What Are People Telling Us About Urgent Dental Care? – Healthwatch England