A FIFTH of patients across south Essex are being left frustrated as they struggle to book an appointment with an NHS dentist, a new survey suggests.

The study by the British Dental Association found 18per cent of 9,202 respondents in Mid and South Essex were unsuccessful when they tried to book an appointment with a dentist in the last two years.

Southend Tory councillor Tony Cox admitted it is a “big problem” that has become even worse in recent years and south Essex has previously been branded a “dental desert” because of the shortage of NHS dentists accepting new patients.

He said: “To even get registered with a dentist is incredibly difficult. I found that out last year when my dentist closed without even telling me and I had to get an emergency appointment to remove an abscess.

“I was in pain and it was very frustrating. I registered at a new place but they wouldn’t have an emergency appointment until they took a look at my teeth.

“After a week and a lot of chasing around, I managed to get it done.

“I can see why people have given up on trying to see a dentist. It’s been a huge problem for years. It’s made worse because some dentists don’t even take on NHS patients.”

According to the British Dental Association, 13per cent of those who visited a dentist in Mid and South Essex in the last two years found the experience to be fairly or very poor.

The newly-elected Labour administration pledged to create 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments a year, as well as recruiting new dentists to under-served areas.

Louise Ansari, chief executive at Healthwatch England, said more fundamental reforms are needed, to give everyone a right to register with a local NHS dentist, in the same way as they can with a GP.

She said: “At the moment, dentists are not obliged to keep patients on permanently, which affects continuity of care, while the payment model for dentists does not incentivise them to offer fully preventative care to patients.”