90+ UK dental market statistics. For 2026.

47,916

The UK had 47,916 registered dentists in December 2025, up 3.4% in a year.

Registration shows who may practise, not who works full time or treats NHS patients.

131,680

131,680 dental professionals were on the GDC register in December 2025, a 4.7% increase.

The total covers dentists and dental care professionals such as nurses, hygienists and therapists.

83,764

Dental care professionals on the register rose 5.5% to 83,764.

They outnumber dentists on the register, so quote the group you mean.

68,472

The number of registered dental nurses rose 5.4% to 68,472.

The GDC says nurses now make up over half of everyone registered.

53%

53% of dentists joining the register in 2025 qualified internationally, against 47% who qualified in the UK.

This describes new joiners, not the whole register.

54%

78% of dental professionals identify as female, including 54% of dentists and 92% of dental care professionals.

The gap between roles is wide, so a single figure for the profession can mislead.

31%

31% of dentists are of Asian or Asian British ethnic origin, and 46% identified as white.

The GDC describes the Asian share as three times higher than in the total UK population.

900

900 dentists were removed from the register at the 2026 renewal, up from 793 a year earlier, leaving 47,022.

This count follows removals at renewal, which is why it sits below the December total.

81%

81% of dentists in the GDC's working patterns data work in England, 11% in Scotland, 5% in Wales and 4% in Northern Ireland.

The data comes from 35,474 dentists since November 2023, about three-quarters of the register, and percentages are rounded.

15%

60% of responding dentists are self-employed, agency workers or locums, 20% are employees and 15% are business owners or part-owners.

Most dentists don't own the practice they work in, so the buyer of practice marketing is a smaller group.

68%

68% of responding dentists work in general dental practice.

Dental hospitals, community services and other hospitals make up most of the rest.

25,419

25,419 dentists delivered NHS activity in England in 2025/26, 3% more than in 2024/25.

A dentist counts if they delivered any NHS activity, so this is a headcount, not full-time equivalents.

43

England had 43 dentists with NHS activity per 100,000 people in 2025/26.

The rate varies across England by Integrated Care Board.

26.2

England averaged 26.2 full-time equivalent NHS dentists per 100,000 people in March 2024, from 27.8 in the North West to 24.3 in the East of England.

This uses full-time equivalents, so don't compare it with a headcount rate.

11,370

The UK had 11,370 dental practices in 2023/24, a 2.7% decline from 12,052 in 2019/20.

This is the British Dental Association's count across all practice types, given as evidence to the CMA.

8,455

The UK had about 8,455 NHS General Dental Services practices in 2023/24, 277 fewer than in 2019/20.

Most of the fall came from England and Wales, with a small rise in Scotland.

6,671

England had 6,671 NHS General Dental Services practices in 2023/24, 269 fewer than in 2019/20.

England holds about four in every five NHS practices in the UK.

1,005

Scotland had 1,005 NHS practices in 2023/24, Wales 415 and Northern Ireland 364.

Since 2019/20, Scotland gained 22 while Wales lost 22 and Northern Ireland lost 8.

65%

Independent practices make up around 65% of UK dental practices.

The CMA describes the sector as fragmented and is seeking evidence from independents directly.

360

Bupa Dental Care operates more than 360 practices across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

This is the company's own figure from its CMA submission, and the count includes Ireland.

2 million

Bupa Dental Care's colleagues treat more than 2 million patients each year.

Bupa also gives a workforce of approximately 9,000 employed and self-employed colleagues.

£12.16bn

The UK high street dentistry market reached £12.16 billion in 2023/24, up 9.2% on the year before.

This is LaingBuisson's estimate of NHS and private together, and the latest value we found.

69%

Private-pay dentistry accounts for 69% of that market value, and the NHS for 31%.

LaingBuisson says this is the highest private share since it began recording the market.

£8.4bn

The private-pay segment was valued at £8.4 billion in 2023/24, an increase of £965 million in a year.

The CMA uses this valuation in the notes to its market study announcement.

23%

Patient co-payments account for 23% of NHS dentistry market value, up from 8% in 2020/21 but below a pre-Covid peak of 28%.

The low point reflects patients being unable to access services at the height of the pandemic.

32%

32% of people in England used private dentistry in the last year, up from 22% in 2023.

The poll covered 2,593 adults in England between 31 October and 7 November 2025.

27%

Among people who say they are struggling financially, private dentistry use rose from 14% in 2023 to 27% in 2025.

Use among people who feel financially comfortable rose from 30% to 36% over the same period.

29%

29% of adults in England used private care exclusively on their most recent dental visit.

Fieldwork ran from June 2023 to April 2024, so it predates most of the rise in private use reported above.

20%

20% of responding dentists provide private care only, and a further 14% work predominantly in private practice.

Predominantly means over 75% of their time.

41%

41% of responding dentists spend at least 75% of their time on NHS care, and 14% work exclusively in NHS settings.

Private-only and NHS-only dentists together are about a third of respondents, so most dentists combine the two.

1 in 5

1 in 5 people in Great Britain used private dental care in 2024.

The CMA cites a Denplan survey here, whose base differs from the Healthwatch poll above, so check which one you are quoting.

37.6m

NHS dentists in England delivered 37.6 million courses of treatment in 2025/26, 6.2% more than in 2024/25.

Activity remains below the 38,813,416 courses delivered in 2019/20.

76.8m

76.8 million units of dental activity were delivered in England in 2025/26, 5% more than the year before.

Units of dental activity are how NHS contracts measure work, and band 1 made up 30% of them.

18.8m

18.8 million adults were seen by an NHS dentist in England in the 24 months to 31 March 2026, 40% of the adult population.

Adults are counted over two years and children over one, so don't compare the two directly.

7.17m

7.17 million children were seen by an NHS dentist in England in the 12 months to 31 March 2026, 60% of the child population.

NHSBSA measures children over 12 months.

61%

61% of NHS courses of treatment in England in 2025/26 were band 1, and 11% were urgent.

Band 1 covers check-ups and simple treatment such as examinations, x-rays and advice.

78%

78% of GP Patient Survey respondents who tried to get an NHS dental appointment succeeded, two points up on 2024.

Fieldwork ran from January to March 2025, with 702,837 responses in England.

51.2%

51.2% of respondents tried to get an NHS dental appointment for themselves within two years, down from 52.4%.

NHS England's analysis notes that two years is the interval recommended by NICE.

66%

The South West had the lowest NHS dental appointment success rate in England, at 66%.

That is more than eleven percentage points below every other region.

56% to 89%

Local success rates ranged from 56% in Somerset to 89% in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Regional averages hide wide gaps, so check the local figure before making an access claim.

32%

32% of would-be new patients were told the practice was not taking new patients, down from 35% in 2024.

The success rate at a new practice was almost 50 percentage points lower than for returning patients.

62.0%

3,251,908 registered patients in Scotland, or 62.0%, took part in NHS dental care within the two years to 31 December 2025.

Registration is far higher, at an estimated 96.3% of the population, so quote participation for actual use.

37.4%

Among adults in England with no dentist and an urgent need, 37.4% tried and failed to get an urgent NHS appointment, while 16.0% obtained one.

This covers urgent needs in the last 28 days, surveyed from 21 July to 12 August 2026.

74%

74% of Britons said they were concerned about the availability of NHS dental care, and 69% believed it had worsened over five years.

This measures public opinion, not whether the respondents had tried to book.

26%

Among people unable to access NHS dental care, 69% paid for private treatment and 26% treated themselves.

Ipsos reports this among those who could not get care, so it is a share of a subgroup.

£1.22bn

The British Dental Association estimates the full cost of NHS dental treatments in England at £4.18 billion, £1.22 billion more than the funding provided.

This is the trade body's own analysis in evidence to the CMA, not an official figure.

£332.10

An NHS course of treatment in England costs £27.90 in band 1, £76.60 in band 2 and £332.10 in band 3.

These rates apply in England from 1 April 2026, and the other UK nations set their own.

£326.70

Before 1 April 2026, those charges were £27.40, £75.30 and £326.70.

Use these only for figures dated before the April 2026 rise.

£384

NHS charges in Scotland and Northern Ireland are 80% of the dentist's fee, capped at £384.

Which? also notes that check-ups are free for all in Scotland, and that Wales sets prices by treatment.

£20 to £124

A private dental examination in January 2026 could range from £20 to £124.

Which? took this from ONS price quotes in its response to the CMA, so it is a spread of quoted prices, not an average.

20%

The median private dental examination rose 20%, from £50 in January 2024 to £60 in January 2026.

The CPIH inflation rate rose 7.2% over the same period, according to the same Which? analysis.

£80

Between 2022 and 2024, private initial consultations rose by over 23% to £80, and routine check-ups by over 14% to £55.

The CMA quotes insurer MyTribeInsurance for these averages, and they are not official statistics.

8%

Private fees fell by approximately 8% in real terms between 2021 and 2025, according to the British Dental Association.

The association argues in its CMA evidence that this shows competition limiting price rises, which differs from the Which? reading of the ONS quotes.

30%

30% of adults in England said cost had influenced the type of dental care they chose, and 23% said it had led them to delay treatment.

Fieldwork ran from June 2023 to April 2024.

31%

Among adults who attend infrequently, 40% said they could not find a dentist and 31% could not afford the charges.

27% said they saw no need to go.

30.9%

Adults with no dentist who tried for an urgent NHS appointment chose a practice by online search (30.9%) more often than through the NHS website (25.5%) or a recommendation (3.5%).

This covers urgent NHS seekers only, so it doesn't describe how private patients choose.

93.5%

93.5% of adults with a recent private dental appointment were satisfied with their care, against 89.9% for NHS appointments.

ONS calls the gap significant, and the question covers appointments in the last 28 days.

36%

People who turned to private care in 2024 said they couldn't get NHS treatment at all (36%), couldn't get it quickly enough (31%), or that their practice had stopped offering it (25%).

18% said they preferred private care, and the CMA cites the GDC's Views and experiences of dentistry research for all four figures.

39%

Adults using private care most often said they could not find an NHS dentist (39%), followed by perceived better quality of care (22%).

More convenient opening times and lower waiting times each scored 19%, and respondents could give more than one reason.

59%

59% of people in deprived areas who went private said it was because they could not find an NHS dentist, compared with 30% of those on higher incomes.

The reason for choosing private care changes with income, so one national figure hides this.

61%

Six in 10 (61%) NHS dental patients would consider paying for private care, with faster treatment the top reason (39%).

The CMA cites Denplan's 2024 survey of adults in Great Britain, and stated willingness is not the same as paying.

85%

85% of UK adults who had been to the dentist in the last five years were satisfied with their care, while 22% of the public were satisfied with NHS dentistry as a whole.

The British Dental Association commissioned this YouGov poll of 2,181 UK adults in March 2026.

88%

88% of respondents who got an appointment at a practice they had attended before reported a good experience, compared with 74% of new patients.

Experience scores differ by whether the patient had attended that practice before.

51%

51% of adults in England usually attend the dentist for a regular check-up, while 35% go only when they have trouble with their mouth, teeth or dentures.

Fieldwork ran from June 2023 to April 2024.

61% to 52%

The share of adults attending for a regular check-up fell from 61% in 2009 to 52% in 2023.

This trend covers adults with one or more natural teeth.

65%

65% of adults in England go to the dentist at least once in a two-year period.

The remaining third go less often or only when they have a problem.

851,267

Across 851,267 patient reviews, sentiment positivity at UK and Ireland dental practices stayed above 90%.

Working Feedback, a patient feedback supplier, published this from its own data, so it may not represent every practice.

97%

Scotland and the North East reached positivity rates above 97% in the same review data.

The same white paper reports the highest negativity in Greater London.

72.2%

SMS accounted for an average of 72.2% of review collection, followed by email and online at 22.6% and QR codes at 4.7%.

These shares come from one supplier's data, so treat them as indicative.

11% to 15%

Government research estimated that 11% to 15% of reviews in three common product categories on e-commerce platforms were likely fake.

It studied consumer electronics, home and kitchen, and sports and outdoors, not dental services.

£312m

Fake review text on products causes an estimated £50 million to £312 million in annual harm to UK consumers.

The estimate leaves out consumers who buy services, so it doesn't cover dentistry.

3.1%

Consumers were 3.1% more likely to buy a product with well-written fake reviews and 5.3% less likely with poorly written ones.

The experiment involved 4,900 UK online shoppers, and the effect varied with price and product category.

246,000

"Dentist near me" gets about 246,000 searches a month in the UK.

The search doesn't say whether the person wants NHS or private care.

90,500

"Invisalign" gets about 90,500 searches a month in the UK.

It is the largest single treatment search we tested for dentistry.

60,500

"Composite bonding" and "teeth whitening" each get about 60,500 searches a month.

Google Ads groups figures into bands, so two terms can show the same number.

27,100

"Veneers" and "emergency dentist" each get about 27,100 searches a month.

Emergency searches carry urgent intent, while veneers are a planned purchase.

22,200

"Dental implants" gets about 22,200 searches a month in the UK.

The "near me" version of this search shows 6,600.

5,400

"Private dentist" gets about 5,400 searches a month in the UK.

Far fewer people include the word than search for a treatment by name.

£22.87

Top-of-page bids for "Invisalign near me" run from about £4.07 to £22.87 a click.

These are Google's estimates, converted from US dollars at 0.76, and not what any practice will pay.

£12.04

Top-of-page bids for "dental implants near me" run from about £2.30 to £12.04 a click.

Same source and conversion as the Invisalign estimate above.

£2.74

Top-of-page bids for "teeth whitening" run from about £1.04 to £2.74 a click.

Click estimates for lower-value treatments are a fraction of those for Invisalign and implants.

4,732

The Dental Complaints Service received 4,732 enquiries in 2024, its highest ever level and 10% more than in 2023.

The service handles complaints about private dental care in the UK.

3,309

3,309 of those enquiries fell within the service's remit in 2024, up from 2,771.

An enquiry within remit is about private care the service can look at, and not every enquiry becomes a case.

1,102

The service opened 1,102 new cases in 2024, up from 466 in 2023.

It resolved 985 cases within the year.

£670,500

Remediation through the service totalled £670,500 in 2024, up from £400,500 in 2023.

The review's own table gives this figure, and refunds of charges were the most common outcome.

82%

Clinical treatment made up 82% of complaints in 2024, down from 94% in 2023.

Access to care rose from 5% to 11% over the same period.

17%

Dentures were the most common treatment type complained about in 2024, at 17%, followed by removable braces at 16% and implants at 13%.

Implants rose from 11% in 2023.

1,766

The GDC received 1,766 fitness to practise concerns in 2025, a 26% increase on 2024.

A concern is a report to the regulator, not a finding against a dental professional.

62%

62% of people with a problem with private dental treatment chose not to complain to their practice.

Which? surveyed only people who reported a problem, 1,009 adults in May 2026, so this doesn't describe all patients.

39%

Among those people, 39% felt costs were excessive, 22% paid more than quoted and 21% said pricing was unclear upfront.

Which? screened 5,848 consumers to reach this sample, a problem rate of 17%.

46%

Of those who did complain, 46% said they received only a verbal apology.

30% were unhappy with the outcome and 27% with how the complaint was handled.