# Dental healthcare access and staffing challenges

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/dental-healthcare-access-and-staffing-challenges
> Updated: 2026-10-22T05:04:39.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

In Poland, the Ministry of Health reported an increase in dental care providers offering services under general anesthesia, rising from 79 in 2025 to 88 in the first half of 2026. However, challenges persist regarding access for patients with significant disabilities. While dental specialists have advocated for the authority to issue DiLO (Diagnostics and Oncology Treatment) cards to expedite oral cancer diagnosis, the Ministry has not yet implemented this change.

Further complications have emerged regarding specialized care and staffing. In Poland, periodontal treatment remains largely underfunded, with only a small fraction of the country’s 630 periodontists working with the National Health Fund (NFZ). 

In the United Kingdom, dental practices are experiencing severe staffing shortages. Following a July 2025 policy shift that raised visa qualification requirements to RQF 6—a level roughly equivalent to a university degree—the number of work visas granted to dental nurses has dropped by 95% compared to the three quarters preceding the change. Similar restrictions now impact dental hygienists and technicians, as their roles no longer meet the threshold for sponsored employment, and domestic training systems are struggling to compensate for the loss of international staff.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-22: UK dental sector faces staffing shortages due to visa restrictions

New UK visa regulations have caused a 95% drop in work visas for dental nurses, creating significant staffing shortages in the dental sector.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dental-staffing-and-access-challenges-reported-in-uk-and-poland

### 2026-10-07: Poland Ministry of Health updates dental care and oncology diagnostic access

Poland's Ministry of Health reports an increase in dental providers offering general anesthesia but maintains that dentists cannot yet issue DiLO cards for rapid oncology diagnostics.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/poland-ministry-of-health-updates-dental-care-and-oncology-diagnostic-access

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Cite as: Dental healthcare access and staffing challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/dental-healthcare-access-and-staffing-challenges