Patients have had their say on how they really think their dental care team is performing.
The latest GP Patient Survey, produced by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England, sheds light on patients’ experiences of NHS dental care across the country.
More than 700,000 patients in England completed the 2025 survey, which was carried out between January and March this year, and gathers information on how patients feel about their local health services, including NHS dental care.
Patients were asked how they would describe their experience of NHS dental services, with options including ‘very good’, ‘fairly good’, ‘neither good nor poor’, ‘fairly poor’, and ‘very poor’.
Here we reveal the areas of England where patients are least happy with their dental care. Integrated Care Systems are ranked by the proportion of patients who rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor' and 'fairly poor'.
7. Dorset Integrated Care System
17% of patients in the Dorset Integrated Care System area rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor', while 8% said it was 'fairly poor'. | Google Maps
8. Northamptonshire Integrated Care System
16% of patients in the NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care System area rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor', while 7% said it was 'fairly poor'. | Google Maps
9. Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care System
15% of patients in the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care System area rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor', while 6% said it was 'fairly poor'. | Google Maps
10. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System
15% of patients in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System area rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor', while 7% said it was 'fairly poor'. | Google Maps
11. Lincolnshire Integrated Care System
15% of patients in the Lincolnshire Integrated Care System area rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor', while 7% said it was 'fairly poor'. | Google Maps
12. Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care System
15% of patients in the Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care System area rated their experience of NHS dental services as 'very poor', while 6% said it was 'fairly poor'. | Google Maps