Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of NHS dental patients who have had to secure (a) services and (b) treatments from private providers because it was unavailable from their NHS provider in the most recent period for which figures are available.

We have made no such estimate as data is not collected on private dental provision.

In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through a National Health Service dental practice, they should contact NHS 111 for assistance.