Nearly a third of patients were unable to get an NHS dental appointment in Suffolk and north east Essex, according to latest figures. Data from NHS satisfaction surveys has revealed that during the last two years, 28% of patients were unable to get an appointment in the area covered by the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board. This 28% of the 5,512 patients who responded to the NHS survey forms equates to 1,543 people who were unable to access an NHS dental appointment.

READ MORE: Suffolk: Dental campaigners' appeal for Crowdfunding cash Mark Jones, co-founder of Toothless in Suffolk (Image: Toothless in Suffolk) Of these, some 14% found the dentist was not taking on new patients, while 10% found that no appointments were available. Figures from British Dental Association (BDA), which represents dentists and dental students, have also shown that across the east of England, 1.5 million people have been unable to access NHS dentistry, while the total across England and Wales was 13 million people in the last two years.

Campaigners from Toothless in England have been seeking better dental care across the country, including in Suffolk. READ MORE: Toothless in Suffolk brand SNEE ICB dentistry plan 'flawed' The group has six main aspirations, which include the provision of an NHS dentist for everyone, dental care to be free at the point of use and reforms to the NHS dental contract to encourage more dentists to provide NHS treatments. New Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny .