Over the past four years, more than 4,000 individuals in Wiltshire and Swindon have sought emergency care at Great Western Hospital for dental pain, highlighting a mounting crisis in NHS dental access across the region.
Freedom of Information data obtained by Sarah Gibson MP and analyzed by the House of Commons Library reveals that between January 2021 and May 2025, 4,138 patients visited the hospital for dental-related problems. Of these, 3,940 reported facial pain issues such as toothache, while 198 presented with dental injuries.
Sarah Gibson, Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham, emphasized the gravity of the situation: “These numbers reveal the consequences of the Government’s failure to support NHS dentists. Wiltshire and Swindon have effectively become ‘dental deserts,’ forcing patients to seek hospital care because local dental services aren’t accessible.”
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She further highlighted the strain this places on hospital resources: “Our hospital staff are doing an exceptional job under intense pressure, but this influx only adds to their burden.”
Gibson criticized the Government’s NHS 10 Year Plan for omitting promised reforms to the NHS dental contract—a move strongly advocated for by the British Dental Association and local dentists. “It’s disappointing that comprehensive dental contract reform was absent, despite urgent calls from the profession,” she said.
The data shows Swindon accounts for most of the emergency dental attendances, with 2,688 cases of facial pain and 124 dental injuries. In Wiltshire, hospital visits included 740 facial pain cases and 55 injuries.
In response, the Liberal Democrats have proposed several measures to address the national NHS dentistry shortage. These include immediate reforms to dental contracts to incentivize practitioners to return to NHS services, a dental healthcare plan for all children under eleven, targeted funding to reopen services in underserved areas, and guaranteed access to a local NHS dentist for every resident.
Access to NHS dental care in the region has noticeably declined. Many residents face long waiting times, are removed from dental practice lists, or are told to seek private care. Some have even resorted to DIY dental treatments due to a lack of routine appointments.
Sarah Gibson condemned the situation: “It’s simply unacceptable that in 2025, thousands of people in Wiltshire end up in A&E because they cannot get a routine dental appointment. This is a dental crisis created by the Government—and local families are paying the price.”