Amid talk of an NHS dentistry crisis, we ask Liverpool: when did you last go to the dentist?

More than 2,000 dentists quit the NHS last year creating ‘dental deserts’ across England where patients have almost no access to routine care, according to a report.

Figures from the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) shows the number of NHS dentists fell from 23,733 at the end of 2020 to 21,544 at the end of January this year.

The Guardian, which reported the study, estimates that around 4 million people have been left without access to NHS care and dentists each have a caseload of around 2,000 patients.

Previous reports said NHS dentistry is “hanging by a thread” with some patients facing two-year waits for routine check ups as we emerge from the pandemic.

So, we've been on the streets of Liverpool to ask when was the last time you went for a check-up?

‘I’m going in on Thursday’

Susan tells us: "I got a text message yesterday to say to come in on Thursday for my check-up."

‘About four weeks ago’

Norman tells us, "When I got back from Florida about four weeks ago, I had a chip on my tooth, and I phoned them up, and they booked me in the very next day."

‘About a month ago’

Lynn tells us: "I went about a month ago, and it was dead easy to get an appointment."