NHS Dental workforce by local health board, age group, gender, contract type and dentist type

Variable filters

You will be able to change the filter selections once you've chosen how to view the data.
Data description

This indicates what a data value represents

1 of 1 selected
No values match your search
Age
5 of 5 selected
No values match your search
Contract type
5 of 5 selected
No values match your search
Gender
3 of 3 selected
No values match your search
Dental staff type
5 of 5 selected
No values match your search
Year
15 of 15 selected
No values match your search
Area
10 of 10 selected
No values match your search

Choose how to view the data

You'll be asked to choose 2 variables to show on a table
The data will be shown with columns for each of the variables in the dataset, with a data value for all combinations of variables

Next update expected:October 2026

Updates

20th November 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider
NHS Business Services Authority
Data source
Dental services
Time period covered
April 2010 to March 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Dental workforce statistics refer to the total number of dentists or dental care professionals who were the lead practitioner of an NHS course of treatment between 1 April and 31 March each year, as recorded on FP17W forms.

Data collection or calculation

Dental care professionals are staff employed in non-dentist roles that are registered with the General Dental Council, such as hygienists, dental therapists and dental nurses. Staff in these roles are only counted when they were the lead practitioner on a course of treatment. They are not counted when they assist a dentist in providing treatment.

The statistics are headcounts; full-time equivalent data is not available.

Data for 2019-20 to 2023-24 have been revised by NHS Business Services Authority following the inclusion of FP17W forms which were submitted late. This has resulted in marginal increases to the Wales headcounts, by no more than two in any year.

A different methodology was implemented for determining the working arrangements (i.e. dentist type) of dentists for 2018-19 onwards. The change in methodology resulted in large numbers of dentists being reclassified as providing-performer and a consequential decrease in associate dentist (performer-only) numbers for 2018-19 and 2019-20 data, marking a major break in the time-series. The overall headcount of dentists was not affected but any comparison with dentist type in data published previously for 2017-18 and earlier should be made with caution. Regardless of this change, this publication does not include data for Provider-only dentists as they do not have NHS activity recorded against them.

From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. For more information see the joint statement from Cwm Taf and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards (see weblinks). The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board becoming Swansea Bay University Health Board. A link to the statement from the minister for health and social service can be found in the weblinks section.

Statistical quality

The number of dental care professionals who were the lead practitioner of a course of treatment is only known for 2024-25 onwards.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales