Okay, hear’s a revised and updated response based on the provided text and incorporating web searches to verify and enhance the details. I’ve focused on providing a summary of the data presented, and will include links to the NHS England source were appropriate.
NHS Dental Statistics: Workforce and Treatment Delivery (February 2026)
This report summarizes recent data from NHS England regarding the dental workforce and the delivery of dental treatments. The data covers various dental care professionals and provides insights into thier activity levels. The information is based on data published in February 2026. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/dental-statistics/
Dental workforce Numbers (Headcount)
The following table details the number of dental care professionals employed, along with percentages representing those working in various settings. Figures represent data as of a specific point in time (likely 2025, based on the publication date of Feb 2026).
| Dental Care Professional | Total | NHS Practice | Private practice | % Working in NHS Practice | % Change (NHS Practice) | % Change (Private Practice) | % change (Total) | % Change (Other) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental hygienist | 5,722 | 2,168 | 323 | 15% | -1% | 4% | 1% | -4% |
| Dental nurse | 25,752 | 19,731 | 13,716 | 70% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 0% |
| Dental therapist | 3,419 | 1,710 | 1,310 | 77% | 17% | 22% | 28% | 5% |
| Foundation dentist | 1,110 | 808 | 761 | 94% | 13% | 2% | 0% | -1% |
| General dentist | 25,911 | 15,293 | 10,727 | 70% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 0% |
| Orthodontic therapist | 1,056 | 598 | 496 | 83% | -2% | 2% | 2% | 0% |
| Orthodontist | 1,207 | 469 | 366 | 78% | -3% | -10% | -12% | -2% |
| Other staff | 7,858 | 5,397 | 3,684 | 68% | -8% | 7% | 3% | -4% |
| Receptionist | 13,331 | 10,107 | 7,409 | 73% | 0% | -3% | -4% | 0% |
| Trainee dental nurse | 11,082 | 9,840 | 7,289 | 74% | -4% | -2% | 1% | 3% |
Key Observations from Workforce data:
* Dental Nurses: Represent the largest portion of the dental workforce, with 25,752
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