For a snapshot of the general public’s attitudes towards COVID-19 and its impact on dentistry, the GDC commissioned the Community Research company to carry out independent research. An online survey that explored attitudes about patient safety and dental visit frequency, among others, was filled out by 2,389 members of the public, spread across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Some of the findings reinforced the widespread notion that UK dentistry is dealing with challenges at a systemic level in providing adequate care for patients. Though most individuals who wanted a dental appointment had been able to secure one, 22% reported being unable to book an appointment since August 2020. A higher proportion of young people and individuals of Asian or Black ethnic backgrounds stated that they had experienced difficulties in accessing dental services, indicating that the pandemic had continued to exacerbate oral health inequalities in the UK. Meanwhile, around one-quarter of respondents said that they were still hesitant about visiting a dental practice owing to concerns about COVID-19.
“Dental professionals continue to rise to the extraordinary challenges posed by the pandemic, but these findings point towards a system being overstretched,” said Stefan Czerniawski, executive director of strategy at the GDC, in a press release.
He added: “Many of the most pressing and wide-reaching challenges highlighted in this research, such as access to services, health inequalities and pressure on professionals, will require attention and effort from everyone right across dentistry. While some of these are areas outside of the GDC’s direct control, we will use this evidence to inform all our work and share the insights with our partners to support those broader efforts to address these problems.”
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