More than 4,000 people have turned to Great Western Hospital’s A&E department for dental-related pain in just four years, according to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Wiltshire MP Sarah Gibson.
The data shows that between January 2021 and May 2025, a total of 4,138 people attended the hospital with dental pain - 3,428 of them from Swindon and Wiltshire alone.
“These figures reveal the cost of the Government not supporting our NHS dentists,” said Sarah Gibson, Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham. “Wiltshire and Swindon have become dental deserts, forcing people to travel to our hospitals because they cannot see a dentist in their community.”
The statistics highlight a deeper crisis: 2,688 people from Swindon and 740 from Wiltshire went to A&E specifically with facial pain or toothache, while 124 and 55 respectively were seen for dental injuries.
“This only puts more pressure on our overstretched hospital services, who are doing a fantastic job under immense strain,” said Gibson.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent NHS dental reform, with proposals including:
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Immediate reform of NHS dental contracts to bring more dentists back into the NHS
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A new dental healthcare plan for every child under 11
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Targeted funding to reopen services in “dental deserts” like Wiltshire
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Guaranteed access to a local NHS dentist for all who need one
Gibson said she was "disappointed" that the Government’s long-promised NHS dental contract reform was absent from the NHS 10 Year Plan, despite widespread support for change from both the British Dental Association and local practitioners.
Access to NHS dental care across Wiltshire has sharply declined, with patients reporting being removed from NHS lists, turned away, or advised to seek costly private treatment. In some cases, residents have attempted DIY dental procedures due to lack of access to care.
“It’s simply unacceptable that in 2025, thousands of people in our part of Wiltshire have ended up in A&E for dental pain because they cannot get a routine appointment,” Gibson added. “This is a dental crisis made in Downing Street – and it is local families who are paying the price.”
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