Empowering healthcare professionals to take the responsibility for dental hygiene away from dentists and preventive treatments will have a profound impact on the UK’s dental access crisis, according to the founders of the UK’s first dental wellness studio.

With 90% of dentists across the UK not taking on new NHS patients, parts of the UK have become ‘dental deserts’ and the number of available NHS dentists is at its lowest number in a decade. 

Almost half of adults (49%) have not seen a dentist in the last two years, says the founder of well:o in Cambridge, Felix von Nathusius, who believes empowering healthcare professionals to perform hygiene and wellness tasks will alleviate pressure on the system.

The current state of dentistry in the UK has led the government to launch its new dental recovery plan, committing to shorter waiting lists and more dentists, and the Labour Party has promised that it will reform the dentistry contract and provide 700,000 more appointments if it comes into power in the forthcoming General Election.

As part of the long-awaited government plan, hygienists and therapists in dental clinics may be allowed to give certain medicines without unnecessary admin, freeing up dentists to carry out vital services.

The founders believe that clinics like well:o are the new face of dental wellness in the UK, where walk-in appointments performed by trained and expert dental hygienists and therapists are possible.

Speaking during National Smile Month, Felix said: “The introduction of dental wellness studios into the UK, staffed by qualified hygienists and therapists, goes one step further than the proposals of the current government’s dental recovery plan and throws a lifeline to the struggling dental system, in which members of the public are the victims.

“It was my own hugely frustrating experience of trying to make a dental hygiene appointment which inspired me to look into the potential of creating an alternative to the current system and therefore alleviating some of the pressure on dentists.

“There’s no reason why you should have to access dental hygiene and dental wellness via a dentist. We believe having your teeth cleaned should be as routine as having a haircut, which will ultimately help prevent dental issues in the future.”

Shelley Belgrove, co-founder, dental hygienist and therapist for 20 years, added: “In some cases, we’ve heard of waiting times of up to three years to get an NHS dental appointment in the UK. What’s more, a two-tier oral-health system is emerging, where, in the future, a healthy smile might be only available to those who can afford it.”

In the UK the most common treatment that adults receive at a dental surgery is a scale and polish, with 12.7 million performed every year. This involves plaque and tartar being removed, helping clean away stains and preventing an unhealthy build up that could potentially cause gum disease.

Dental campaigners say oral cancer, which can be picked up during routine check-ups, has risen by a staggering 46% in the last decade and there have been worrying reports about people being so desperate for treatment that they’ve resorted to ‘DIY dentistry’.

Felix added: “Whilst private health care is an alternative, not everyone can afford it. NHS dentistry is funded to provide basic services for roughly half of the population, under the assumption that the rest will seek out private dental care. In fact, Bupa has claimed that the UK has the lowest per capita spending on oral health in the G7.”

Shelley said: “The ethos behind well:o is that our mouth is central to our overall health and wellbeing and is the gateway to our whole body. A healthy smile doesn’t just look good, it makes you feel better.”

well:o is urging people to get into the habit of seeing a dental hygienist regularly, helping to prevent dental problems in the long run.

Starting in Cambridge, the long-term plan is to introduce well:o studios throughout the UK, helping to make it easier to keep mouths healthy and happy, by offering preventive hygiene treatments bespoke to each patient, without the need to see a dentist first.