Live data · Updated daily
The UK NHS Dental Shortage Map
Every county in England, coloured by how many NHS dentists are currently accepting new patients. A county below 20% is a dental desert — where finding an NHS dentist is nearly impossible.
6,350
NHS practices tracked
Checked every morning
2,524
Currently accepting patients
40% of all NHS practices
23%
of areas are dental deserts
117 counties below 20% acceptance
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Click any county to view practices. Hover to see acceptance rate. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
🔴 The 5 worst-affected areas
In these areas, fewer than 1 in 5 NHS dentists is accepting new patients.
🟢 The 5 best-served areas
These counties have the highest proportion of NHS dentists currently open to new patients.
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About this data
This map is generated daily from DentistSearch's database of 6,350 NHS dental practices across England. Acceptance status is sourced from the NHS Find a Dentist service, checked every morning at 3 AM.
A county is classified as a dental desert when fewer than 20% of its NHS practices are accepting new patients — a threshold used by dental access researchers and NHS policy reports. Counties are coloured on a five-tier scale from deep red (0–20%) through to green (81–100%).
Data covers England only. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have separate NHS dental commissioning structures and will be added as coverage extends. Last updated: 22 May 2026.
All counties — full data
Click any column header to sort. Click a county name to view all practices in that area.
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