Whilst it is right and proper that those needing to receive dental care through the NHS are able to do so you might like to compare the figures that are causing the current furore in UK with those here in Spain, where little is heard, although the situation is much worse.
Currently in UK there are 42.9 NHS dentists per 100,000 population, each with an average patient database of 233.
The paradox is that Spain has more dentists per inhabitant than the European average and many more than those established, as recommended by the World Health Organization. The number of members has grown by more than 20% in the last ten years but a tiny part, just 3.6%, is integrated into the National Health System where there are less than 1,500 specialists to care for 47 million people. Work it out for yourself……the dentist/patient ratio, a mere 31,333.