@Whyisitsodifficult “ Is your husband a NHS dentist? Could you ask him why they keep cancelling routine appointments and can I do anything about it?”
The simplest answer to this is because NHS Dentistry has been chronically underfunded and run in to the ground for years. Even pre-Covid there were far too few NHS dentists to meet the needs of the population. Since Covid, NHS dentists have been asked to prioritise urgent/emergency treatments. This means in order to receive funding (be paid!) we MUST see all patients contacting us with urgent dental issues. Remember how I said dentistry was underfunded? There’s a lot of in-met need out there. Many dental practices have been swamped with calls from people who have no long term relationship with that practice, but whom we are obliged to treat (there is, after all, no such thing as registration with a dentist any longer - not since 2006). Add to this that many people who usually seek private care are aware that NHS dentist must treat their emergencies, many of them would rather pay us the Band 1 charge to do so than pay a private practice a much higher fee (and possibly a PPE charge on top).
So yes, a lot of predominantly NHS practices in England are genuinely struggling to catch up and to continue to see patients with whom they have previously had a long standing relationship if those patients have no issues with their teeth at the current time. In many way, this is as it should be - like all health care there are times priorities have to be made.
What can you do about it? Well first of all take as much responsibility as possible for your own oral health. Someone up thread mentioned “prevention is better than cure”. True, in this case. But actually a dental check up is not preventative in itself. Having a check up won’t stop dental problems occurring. Following the oral health advice given to you will - and that advice is freely available online. Brush twice a day for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste. Clean at least once a day between the teeth. These things reduce the risk of gum disease (and fluoride reduces decay risk). Reduce the overall amount of sugar in your diet, and most crucially the frequency of sugar intakes. Only consume sugar containing food and drinks a maximum of 3 times a day (mealtimes). This reduces the risk of decay.
Secondly - lobby your MP about the appalling lack of support for NHS dental services in England. Not addressed specifically to you, but many people are so quick to blame dentists themselves for all that is wrong with the system when most of us are working really hard in a ridiculous system and (contrary to popular belief) not being paid loads of many for it (most NHS dentists have not a pay rise in over 10 years - we must try to cram in ever more work just to make earnings keep pace with inflation. The uplift given doesn’t keep pace with the rising cost of materials, utilities etc. Is that the way to a quality system and good care? Dental practices are private businesses with NHS contracts, so no special status when it comes to trying to remain afloat.)