Research carried out by the Health and Social Care Select Committee published yesterday found that urgent reform is needed so that the public can get the dental care that they are entitled to.

However, the MPs warned that reform will come too late for the thousands of dentists who have left the profession or are planning to in the near future, which will further impact patients.

During the committee’s inquiry last month it heard the experiences of patients who said that a lack of treatment had resulted in worsening oral and mental health, which it described as “totally unacceptable in the 21st century”.

The cross-party group of MPs also heard first-hand experience of members of the public extracting their own teeth at home, while others were forced to travel hours for appointments.

Another case study described how someone who, denied access to dental treatment, had used pliers to pull out their teeth.

In addition to the current dire state of NHS dental services, the report noted that the recommendations that it made 15 years ago still have not been implemented.

Earlier this week Steve Brine, the committee’s chairman, warned fellow Tory MPs and ministers that the report would make “uncomfortable reading”.

“Rarely has an inquiry been more necessary than this one,” he said following the report’s publication today.

“To hear of someone in such pain and distress that they resorted to using pliers to extract their teeth demonstrates the crisis in NHS dental services.

“The problem is compounded by people being unaware of what they’re entitled to and a contract that is unfit for purpose when it comes to paying dentists for treating NHS patients.

“Declining levels of NHS dentistry activity should have been sounding alarm bells, as should a projected budget underspend of £400 million.”

The committee called on the Government to ensure that everyone who needs an NHS dentist is able to access one within a reasonable timeframe and a reasonable distance.

It also recommended the roll-out of a patient information campaign with the aim of improving awareness of how NHS dentistry works and ensuring the public are better informed about what they are entitled to.

The committee’s report also highlighted workforce shortages in known “dental deserts” of NHS dentistry.

Out of the five Integrated Care Board (ICB) areas with the lowest number of dentists doing NHS work in the country, four were in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Humber & North Yorkshire ICB (North Lincs) has only 31 dentists with NHS activity per every 100,000 of the local population.

Earlier this week Yorkshire Tory MPs raised their concerns with ministers about the state of NHS dental services in their area.

Jason McCartney, who represents Colne Valley, said: “Many of my Colne Valley constituents are still struggling to get NHS dental appointments. So I just want to know, what is happening right now, this week, this month, to increase the availability of NHS dental appointments for my constituents?”

Health minister Neil O’Brien said that a forthcoming “dental plan will take further steps.”

Julian Sturdy, the MP for York Outer, said: “What is happening with reassessing the out-of-date dental contracts to ensure increased demand is met and my constituents get the access to dental care that they deserve?”

The Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, said that the picture was “improving, but we recognise there’s more to do”.

Patients removing own teeth at home due to crisis in NHS dentistry