CAMPAIGNERS say longer intervals between routine dental check-ups could help free up space for people who need an appointment or more complex work.

A project in West Yorkshire is exploring if more dental appointments can be made available by increasing the interval between routine check-ups for adults whose dentists assess them to be at low risk of developing dental and oral disease.

Current guidelines say that time between dental check-ups should depend on the health of a patient’s teeth and mouth and their level of risk, with intervals of up to two years for those in good oral health.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines say that attending the dentist every six months may not be necessary for everyone.

The project is working with dentists and the public to extend the interval between check-ups, freeing up more space for people who need an appointment or more complex work.

Helen Wright from Healthwatch Kirklees, one of the partners in the project, said: “Some people with healthy teeth are visiting when they don’t need to; it may be possible to increase the check up to nine, 12, 18 or even 24 months, the maximum for an adult. If we can change the system we could transfer thousands of appointments from checking adults with healthy teeth to treating patients in pain. Our work encourages people to talk with their dentist about how often they need to go, rather than routinely booking in for the next six monthly slot.”

With the support of the Chief Dental Officer for England, Healthwatch organisations in West Yorkshire are working with local dentists, the NHS England dental commissioning team in Leeds and Public Health England.

Emma Wilson, NHS England’s Head of Co-Commissioning Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Since September 2017 we have been talking with local dentists about best practice in recall and sending out monthly information on their practice’s performance. There are many reasons for difference in recall intervals such as the area in which the practice works and the community they serve, but this project is exploring if we can release capacity in general dental services by ensuring that NHS guidance is implemented by all clinical colleagues across the locality”.

Healthwatch’s Helen Wright added: “The message is, if you have a healthy mouth and teeth, clean your teeth well with fluoride toothpaste and have a healthy lifestyle, adults may not need to have a check-up every six months. We want people to talk to their dentist about this – to ask if they can go from six to 12 months between visits.”