More patients have been able to access NHS dental care in Somerset than last year, thanks to the opening of new practices and targeted investment.
New data shows that during 2025-26, dental teams across the county’s 52 NHS practices provided about 3% more NHS work than they did the previous year, halting years of declining NHS activity since the pandemic.
The number of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) delivered in Somerset went up by about 10,000 to 360,000.
Under national NHS rules, UDAs are used to pay high street dentists, which are independent businesses. They act like tokens and, when a practice sees a patient, it is earning a number of units, each of which is worth an amount of money.
The number of units earned varies depending on the complexity of the treatment provided.
The figures are a further boost for NHS dentistry in Somerset after the recent opening of a third new NHS dental practice in the county since last autumn.
Three new practices commissioned by NHS Somerset – in Wellington (in October), Chard (December) and Crewkerne (May) – are already helping bring NHS dentistry to an additional 20,000 people.
Sukeina Kassam, Director of Primary Care at NHS Somerset, said: “Improving access to NHS dentistry is one of our top priorities as we know it is hugely important to local people.
It is great to see our improvement programme is leading to better access and more NHS dental care being provided in Somerset.”
David McClay, Place Director for Somerset, added: “We know there is more to do and, following the first wave of new NHS practices we are now identifying our next areas of focus.
“Measures could include encouraging existing practices to deliver more NHS activity or developing proposals for more new NHS practices.”
Other work by NHS Somerset to increase access to NHS dentistry includes:
- Paying local dentists up to 25% more to deliver NHS care (by raising the minimum amount for each UDA delivered).
- Making more urgent dental care appointments available through local incentives and NHS 111.
- Continued investment in workforce recruitment, retention and training.
- Expansion of preventative oral health programmes across Somerset, including offering supervised toothbrushing to all primary schools
- Use of ‘golden hellos’ as incentives to dentists.
Anyone needing emergency or urgent dental care can call NHS 111 or visit NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk.
PHOTO: Wellington Dental Care, operated by Dentistry For You in premises at Tonedale, was officially opened in October by Gideon Amos MPober.