GeraClinic / NHS Dentistry Access Index
The Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index
One number for England’s dental deserts. The Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index is a 0–100 score over the real NHS Dental Statistics for England, where 100 would mean every adult was seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months. For June 2023 it stands at 40.7 / 100 for England — 40.7% of adults had NHS dental contact, so 59.3% did not.
How hard is it to get an NHS dentist in England?
Hard, and it varies sharply by area. As of June 2023, the Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index stands at 40.7 / 100 for England — only 40.7% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months, so 59.3% had no NHS dental contact. Access ranges from 30.6% in Gloucestershire to 53.6% in South Yorkshire. Gera recomputes the index on each NHS dental statistics release.
The index reports the real NHS adult-access rate — the share of adults seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months — on a 0–100 scale against universal access. There is no editorial constant: NHS adult dental access has no official percentage target, so the score is exactly the published access rate, and the formula is set out in full in the methodology.
Index (England)
40.7 / 100
around the England average for NHS dental access
Adults seen (24 mo)
40.7%
of adult population
Access gap
59.3%
no NHS dental contact
Areas ranked
42
7 regions
NHS dental access by region (England)
Scored with the same index, England’s 7 NHS regions range from North East and Yorkshire (46.2 / 100, 46.2% of adults seen) down to South East (36 / 100, 36.0%). Each region’s score is the real per-ICB access rate, population-weighted — every figure below traces to the NHS release.
| NHS region | Dentistry Access Index | Adults seen (24 mo) | Access gap | ICBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. North East and Yorkshire | 46.2 / 100 | 46.2% | 53.8% | 4 |
| 2. North West | 45.8 / 100 | 45.8% | 54.2% | 3 |
| 3. Midlands | 42.2 / 100 | 42.2% | 57.8% | 11 |
| 4. East of England | 39.8 / 100 | 39.8% | 60.2% | 6 |
| 5. London | 37.4 / 100 | 37.4% | 62.6% | 5 |
| 6. South West | 37.1 / 100 | 37.1% | 62.9% | 7 |
| 7. South East | 36 / 100 | 36.0% | 64.0% | 6 |
NHS dental access by area — the full league table
The index is computed for every one of England’s 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). The lowest-access areas — the deepest dental deserts — are shown below; the complete ranked table of all 42 areas, each linking to its full ICB detail, is one email away.
In June 2023, only 40.7% of adults in England were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months — a Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index of 40.7 / 100, leaving 59.3% of adults with no NHS dental contact.
- Gloucestershire
- 30.6 / 100 · 30.6% seen
- Surrey Heartlands
- 32.5 / 100 · 32.5% seen
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- 33.5 / 100 · 33.5% seen
- Kent and Medway
- 34.1 / 100 · 34.1% seen
- North Central London
- 34.5 / 100 · 34.5% seen
+ 37 more not shown here. As of June 2023. Source: NHS Dental Statistics for England 2022-23, Table 3e (OGL v3.0).
Get the full 42-area NHS dental access league table
Enter your email and we send the complete ranked table of all 42 ICBs, each linking to its full access breakdown. Recomputed on every NHS dental statistics release.
What dental deserts mean for the NHS dentist workforce
The lowest-access areas are, in general, the ones struggling most to recruit and retain NHS dentists. If you are a dental professional considering NHS work in the UK, these pages set out the real registration pathways (they are information, not recruitment):
Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index: FAQs
- What is the Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index?
- The Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index (GNDAI) is a single 0–100 score for how many adults still have recent NHS dental contact in an area. It is the real NHS adult access rate — the share of adults seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months — scored against universal access, so 100 would mean every adult was seen. For June 2023 the national score is 40.7 / 100, meaning 40.7% of adults had NHS dental contact in 24 months and 59.3% did not. It is computed transparently from real NHS data — the full method is on the methodology page.
- How is the index calculated?
- It takes the real NHS adult-access figure — adults seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months as a percentage of the adult population — from NHS Dental Statistics for England, Table 3e, and reports it directly on a 0–100 scale where 100 = universal access: GNDAI = adult access rate. NHS adult dental access has no single official percentage target, so universal access is the only benchmark that adds no editorial constant, making the number exactly the real rate and fully reproducible.
- Where are the worst "dental deserts" in England?
- Of the 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards, Gloucestershire has the lowest adult NHS dental access at 30.6% (index 30.6 / 100) — so 69.4% of adults there had no NHS dental contact in 24 months. South Yorkshire has the highest at 53.6% (index 53.6 / 100). By region, North East and Yorkshire has the best access (46.2 / 100) and South East the lowest (36 / 100).
- What is the "access gap"?
- The access gap is the mirror of the index: 100 minus the score, i.e. the share of adults with NO recent NHS dental contact. Nationally the gap is 59.3% for June 2023 — around three in five adults did not see an NHS dentist in a 24-month window. It is the figure behind the "dental deserts" headline.
- Does the index include children?
- No. The score uses the adult 24-month access rate only — the single national accountability measure. The child 12-month access rate is shown alongside as context, but blending a second population into one number would require an editorial weight, so it is kept out of the score.
- How often is the index updated?
- NHS England (via the NHS Business Services Authority and NHS Digital) publishes NHS dental access statistics on a regular schedule. Gera recomputes the index on each release. The figures here are for June 2023 (source published 24 August 2023).
Struggling to find an NHS dentist?
With the national dental access index at 40.7 / 100 and 59.3% of adults without recent NHS dental contact, some people use a private online consultation for urgent dental advice while they search for an NHS place. GeraClinic connects you with a UK-registered clinician by video — it is a private service and not affiliated with the NHS. For severe pain, facial swelling or bleeding that will not stop, contact NHS 111 or your dentist now; in an emergency call 999.
Related NHS data
Source
The Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index is computed only from the real NHS Dental Statistics for England release below — every figure on this page traces back to it. The index (reporting the real access rate on a 0–100 universal-access scale, and its regional population-weighting) is the Gera contribution and is fully specified on the methodology page; no value is invented. Published 3 July 2026.
Contains public sector information published by NHS Digital / NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS Dental Statistics for England 2022-23 — Table 3e (Geographical Breakdown) (June 2023, published 24 August 2023).
Contains public sector information published by Gera Systems and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (source data). Source: Gera NHS Dentistry Access Index — derived from NHS Dental Statistics for England open data (June 2023, published 3 July 2026).