FOI Reference: FOI/2022/4231
You asked
I would like to request some information regarding dentistry within the UK. This is part of my university assignment. The following information would be valuable for my research for my public health module.
Number of dentists in the UK -- NHS and Private (ideally for the past 5 years)
Dentists in Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Wolverhampton and Manchester (ideally for the past 5 years), NHS and Private
We said
Thank you for your query regarding information on dentistry within the UK.
Each quarter we publish employment by occupation from our Annual Population Survey on NOMIS Annual Population Survey - Employment by occupation by sex - Nomis (nomisweb.co.uk).
This is available for the UK and regions of the UK. For your query, dentists would fall under the occupation code 2215 "dental practitioners". In January to December 2021 there were an estimated 36,100 dental practitioners in the UK.
Please note, The Annual Population Survey provides estimates for the number of people in this occupation and these estimates are subject to sampling variability. The Department of Health and Social Care or the General Dental Council might have data which can provide a more accurate answer.
We can provide a breakdown by public and private sector employment; however, we are unable to provide a breakdown specifically by NHS.
The information you have requested may be available as a bespoke data request, this requires time and expertise which we can only provide as part of a bespoke paid service. Since the information required is at very low level it could be the case that some outputs are disclosive or of low quality. In those instances, we will need to supress certain breakdowns. However, this can be discussed further when ordering this analysis.
Should you wish to pursue this, or if you'd like a further conversation regarding a bespoke request please contact our social surveys team (socialsurveys@ons.gov.uk). Such services would be subject to legal frameworks, disclosure controls, resources, and agreement of costs. Please note there will be a charge for this work in line with our current Charging Policy.