All the latest dentistry news, all in one place.

Our dental news feed will be regularly updated to help you stay informed and keep up-to-date with everything that's happening in the industry.

What Britain’s ageing population means for the future of dentistry

From falling birth rates to rising living costs, Britain’s population trends are transforming the profession. David Willetts discusses what these changes mean for dentists, patients and policymakers alike.

Overseas registration exam: petition launches to reform booking system

Dentistry has launched a petition calling for a priority booking system to be introduced for the overseas registration exam (ORE).

Government calls for evidence for 10 Year Workforce Plan

The Department of Health and Social Care has invited NHS partners and stakeholders to contribute to a call for evidence for the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

Dentist erased after admitting to ‘racially-motivated’ emails to colleagues

A dentist who admitted to writing ‘inappropriate and racially-motivated’ comments about Indian dentistry has been erased from the register. The clinician made the comments in emails to colleagues and former colleagues, writing ‘I don’t want…

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Young people who experience divorce or abuse more likely to have dental fear

Young people who have experienced bullying, divorce, violence or abuse are significantly more likely to be anxious to visit the dental practice. Read more

Childhood tooth decay hospitalisations rise in ‘public health emergency’

Tooth decay remains the most common cause of childhood hospital admissions, according to newly-published NHS England data. The figures show that 21,162 children aged 5 to 9 were admitted to hospital for tooth decay in 2024/2025. This was was 65% higher than the next most common cause, which was acute… Read more

Ban on energy drinks for under 16s welcomed by dentists

Dental experts have applauded the government’s proposal to ban energy drinks for under 16s, pointing to ‘real scope for gains in oral health’. Read more

‘Chemo wrecked my teeth, I can’t afford treatment’

A woman who says her teeth were destroyed by cancer treatment says dental care in the UK "feels like we're going back to Victorian times". Faye Woodley, who is unable to work because of chronic illness, said she was unable to afford the required treatment to fix her teeth, which… Read more

Maple compound used to fight tooth decay

A compound derived from maple trees and naturally occurring in maple syrup was found to prevent caries-causing biofilm from adhering to teeth in a new study. The compound, epicatechin gallate, has been described as ‘a powerful and safe alternative to traditional plaque-fighting agents’. Read more

Online Dental Health Toolkit for Parents of Autistic Children

A new resource has been developed by the University of Leeds to help improve the oral health of autistic children. Read more

Three in four adults are not regularly seeing a dentist

According to a new Haleon survey, three quarters of UK adults are not meeting the recommendation of seeing a dentist every 12-24 months. Read more

Sugar-free gum could save £388 million in dental services

Consuming three pieces of sugar-free gum per day is ‘clinically proven’ to have oral health benefits according to newly-released research. Read more

‘Ozempic mouth’: what do dental professionals need to know?

The term ‘Ozempic mouth’ is on the rise – we look at what it is and what this might mean for how dental professionals treat their patients. Read more

Supervised toothbrushing launched in UK schools

A national supervised toothbrushing programme will be rolled out for UK children aged three to five from April, the government has announced. Read more

‘Little change’ to oral health gap in England, report finds

A new oral health survey has revealed that ‘wide variation’ in the prevalence of decay in five-year-old schoolchildren across England remains. Read more

Oral bacteria impacts brain health, study finds

https://dentistry.co.uk/2025/02/07/oral-bacteria-impacts-brain-health-study-finds/#:~:text=Bad%20bacteria%20from%20the%20mouth%20can%20damage%20the%20brain%2C%20leading%20to%20an%20increased%20risk%20of%20dementia%2C%20according%20to%20a%20new%20study. Read more

The Oral Health Foundation commends the parliamentary discussion addressing the critical impact of food and diet on obesity

The Oral Health Foundation commends the parliamentary discussion addressing the critical impact of food and diet on obesity and welcomes the opportunity to emphasise how nutrition influences not only weight but also oral health – a vital yet often overlooked component of overall wellbeing. Read more

Males more likely to not have dentist than females, stats show

Just over half of adults report having an NHS dentist in the last month – with one third having private treatment. This is according to new findings from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Read more

Dental crisis: the knock-on effects for mouth cancer

The ongoing dental crisis in the UK has led to fears that while many patients now simply cannot get an appointment, an increasing number of mouth cancer cases are potentially being overlooked Read more

Benefits of water fluoridation in decline, review finds

New research suggests that water fluoridation is a cost-effective measure but only leads to a slightly lower prevalence of caries in children. Read more

Experts call for NHS dental contracts reform to prioritise prevention

A new report from the College of General Dentistry, with support from Haleon, a health company and a provider of specialist oral health products, has released recommendations from oral health professionals on improving the provision of preventative oral healthcare. Read more

Two slices of ham a day ‘increases risk of type 2 diabetes risk 15%’

Meat consumption – particularly processed meat and unprocessed red meat – has been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. According to a new study by the University of Cambridge, regular consumption of 50 grams of processed meat a day – equivalent to two slices of ham – is associated… Read more

WHO declares mpox global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern. The highly contagious disease - formerly known as monkeypox - has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read more

Death by heart disease 66% more likely after tooth loss, study says

People who have lost multiple teeth are two thirds more likely to die from heart disease, according to a new study. Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine found that heart disease risk was significantly higher for people who had lost all of their teeth. Lead… Read more

Widespread fear of dentists still deters attendance

New research by Bupa confirms that over half of adults experience ’severe nervousness about dental appointments’ with 76% of patients who suffer from dental anxiety putting off dental visits ’entirely’. Read more

NHS trusts say cost of living crisis has worsened public health

Almost all NHS trusts in England said the health of the public has worsened in their area due to rising costs, according to new research. Read more

Researchers hope ‘lollipops’ could detect mouth cancer

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have received funding for a project to create mouth cancer-detecting lollipops. The flavoured lollipop could be set to speed up diagnoses and identify cancer at an earlier stage. Read more

Antibiotics before dental treatment could save lives, research shows

Up to 78 lives per year could be saved if dentists could administer antibiotics to vulnerable patients with heart conditions before dental treatment, research shows. Read more

Four million people off work with dental illnesses

A new survey has revealed that one in 10 adults in England have missed at least two weeks of work in the past three years due to oral health concerns. Read more

Women’s hormones and oral health: from puberty to menopause

Nina Garlo-Melkas explores the issues hormonal changes can cause for patients. International Women's Day is a good time to consider the impact of hormones on oral health. From adolescence to menopause, a woman's body undergoes hormonal fluctuations that affect oral health and, consequently, overall physical and mental wellbeing. Read more

‘Artificial tongue’ developed to target oral bacteria

Researchers have designed a chemical sensor array or ‘artificial tongue’ which identifies and deactivates bacteria in the mouth. Published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, the researchers’ report explains that the project aims to speed up identification of the bacteria that cause dental diseases and bacterial infections. Read more

No health without oral health: New report sheds light on the true impact of oral disease

The Oral Health Foundation is supporting calls for multi-pronged approach to improve global oral health, following the release of a new report. Read more

Government failing to break link between decay and deprivation

British Dental Association has accused ministers of dragging their heals on policies that could narrow the huge oral health gap among children. Read more

A quarter of patients delayed dental care due to costs, says oral health survey

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has released the conclusions of its ‘Adult Oral Health Survey 2021’. Read more

‘Like a battlefield’ – dentist details volume of dental sepsis cases

The profession is warning of increased cases of dental sepsis amidst ongoing access problems in UK dentistry. As part of its new ‘Dentists for All’ campaign, The Mirror reports that one clinician in the north of England reportedly described their local hospital as ‘like a battlefield’ given the volume of dental sepsis cases. Read more

Time to take energy drinks off the menu for under-16s

We are urgently calling on policy makers to reignite plans to restrict sales of energy drinks to children, after a new evidence review of the effects of energy drinks on children revealed wider ranging risks of mental and physical health problems associated with consumption. Read more