Dental deserts: where you can — and can't — get an NHS dentist
Data updated 12 November 2026 · Journalists: this data is free to use with attribution to DentistTracker — contact us for breakdowns.
We check the official availability of every NHS dental practice in England every day. The picture in November 2026: just 32% of 5,824 practices say they're accepting new adult NHS patients. In 62 parliamentary constituencies, not a single tracked practice is accepting.
Acceptance rate by region
| Region | Practices | Accepting new patients | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 258 | 41 | 16% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 570 | 97 | 17% |
| South West | 520 | 93 | 18% |
| South East | 975 | 251 | 26% |
| North West | 798 | 219 | 27% |
| East Midlands | 428 | 121 | 28% |
| East of England | 604 | 173 | 29% |
| London | 1045 | 497 | 48% |
| West Midlands | 626 | 368 | 59% |
The 20 hardest places to find an NHS dentist
Parliamentary constituencies ranked by share of practices accepting new adult NHS patients (minimum 5 tracked practices).
| Constituency | Practices | Accepting | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Cornwall | 13 | 0 | 0% |
| Bishop Auckland | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| City of Durham | 12 | 0 | 0% |
| Dewsbury and Batley | 11 | 0 | 0% |
| Skipton and Ripon | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Reigate | 10 | 0 | 0% |
| Spelthorne | 13 | 0 | 0% |
| Thornbury and Yate | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Tynemouth | 11 | 0 | 0% |
| Easington | 6 | 0 | 0% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 15 | 0 | 0% |
| Sleaford and North Hykeham | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Canterbury | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Blackburn | 12 | 0 | 0% |
| Farnham and Bordon | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| Redcar | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Normanton and Hemsworth | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Ossett and Denby Dale | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Rutland and Stamford | 9 | 0 | 0% |
| Northampton South | 7 | 0 | 0% |
Towns where no practice is accepting
Larger towns (4+ NHS practices) where zero practices currently report accepting new adult patients — check each town's page for children-only options and nearby alternatives.
Where availability is best
| Constituency | Practices | Accepting | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tipton and Wednesbury | 13 | 13 | 100% |
| Eltham and Chislehurst | 14 | 13 | 93% |
| Walsall and Bloxwich | 13 | 12 | 92% |
| Dudley | 11 | 10 | 91% |
| Coventry East | 10 | 9 | 90% |
| Peckham | 10 | 9 | 90% |
| Chelmsford | 10 | 9 | 90% |
| West Bromwich | 9 | 8 | 89% |
| Stourbridge | 16 | 14 | 88% |
| Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North | 14 | 12 | 86% |
About this data
Every figure on this page comes from what practices themselves report to the NHS website, re-checked daily by DentistTracker — see our full methodology. "Accepting" means the practice reported taking new adult NHS patients for routine care at our latest check (12 November 2026). Because we track daily, these figures move — ask us for trend data over time.
Looking for a dentist yourself? Check live availability in your town.