Last updated with NHS England data for August 2026. How we update

Oral & Dental Surgery Waiting Times Across the NHS

The NHS Oral & Dental Surgery waiting list in England has 315,652 patients currently waiting for treatment, with a typical wait of around 16 weeks across 114 hospitals. In practice, Oral & Dental Surgery waiting times range from about 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 28 weeks at the slowest. From GP referral to first Oral & Dental Surgery appointment, most patients (92%) are seen within about 39 weeks; the NHS constitutional target is 18 weeks. 7,537 patients have been on the Oral & Dental Surgery waiting list for more than a year. Waits for Oral & Dental Surgery are about 1.2 week shorter than in August 2025.

12-month change

Then vs now nationally

Aug 25→Aug 26
Typical wait
16weeks
â–¼ -1.2 wks
How long most people wait
Seen in 18 weeks
6in 10
â–² +1.7 pts
NHS aims to see everyone this fast
People waiting
316k
â–¼ -5.3k
On the waiting list right now
Waiting over a year
7.5k
â–¼ -5.5k
Been on the list for 12+ months
114
Hospitals you could choose from
16 weeks
How long most people wait
6 in 10
Seen within 18 weeks
7.5k
Have waited over a year

Common reasons for referral

Wisdom tooth removal
Jaw surgery (orthognathic)
Dental implants
Removal of impacted teeth
Jaw joint problems (TMJ)
Mouth ulcer investigation
Cyst removal
Biopsies of mouth lesions

National trend

Average oral & dental surgery wait across England, month by month.

â–¼ -1.2 wks

All hospitals

Hospital Region Wait Within 18 Wks 52+ Wk
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 3 wks
100.0%
-
Tees Valley Hospital North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 4 wks
87.9%
-
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust London London 8 wks
82.4%
-
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 8 wks
78.3%
8
Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust London London 8 wks
82.6%
1
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 8 wks
72.7%
-
Barking, Havering And Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 9 wks
79.6%
9
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 9 wks
85.8%
-
Somerset Surgical Services HQ South West South West 9 wks
77.4%
-
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London London 10 wks
81.2%
-
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust South West South West 10 wks
75.6%
3
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 10 wks
78.6%
1
Tameside And Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 10 wks
71.6%
-
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 10 wks
73.3%
-
Practice Plus Group Surgical Centre - Devizes South West South West 10 wks
81.8%
-
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 10 wks
69.5%
10
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 10 wks
78.9%
-
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
72.9%
18
University Hospitals Of Derby And Burton NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 11 wks
72.3%
28
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 11 wks
62.6%
10
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 11 wks
70.5%
10
Whittington Health NHS Trust London London 11 wks
70.2%
-
Northern Lincolnshire And Goole NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
63.2%
30
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 12 wks
69.9%
3
South Tyneside And Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
68.9%
-
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 12 wks
76.4%
-
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 12 wks
63.9%
43
Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust London London 12 wks
65.9%
18
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 12 wks
67.7%
-
Royal Devon And Exeter NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 13 wks
66.1%
9
Barts Health NHS Trust London London 13 wks
62.8%
74
Wrightington, Wigan And Leigh NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 13 wks
63.5%
38
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 13 wks
60.7%
54
University Hospitals Bristol And Weston NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 13 wks
65.3%
3
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 13 wks
62.2%
29
Doncaster And Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 13 wks
59.0%
5
Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
61.7%
-
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 14 wks
60.0%
87
County Durham And Darlington NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
59.9%
1
Calderdale And Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
60.7%
1
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 14 wks
62.5%
-
The Westbourne Centre Midlands Midlands 14 wks
61.5%
13
University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 14 wks
61.0%
30
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 14 wks
64.5%
-
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 15 wks
60.1%
-
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 15 wks
63.8%
-
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 15 wks
58.4%
105
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 15 wks
59.0%
1
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 15 wks
60.4%
-
Practice Plus Group Hospital - Emersons Green South West South West 15 wks
62.2%
-
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 15 wks
56.2%
16
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust London London 16 wks
56.9%
6
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 16 wks
56.2%
1
Isle Of Wight NHS Trust South East South East 16 wks
55.4%
-
St Helens And Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North West North West 16 wks
54.8%
59
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 16 wks
54.9%
22
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 16 wks
55.3%
67
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 17 wks
52.8%
26
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 17 wks
53.7%
17
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 17 wks
52.2%
16
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 17 wks
51.7%
47
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 17 wks
52.4%
300
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 17 wks
51.7%
3
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust East of England East of England 17 wks
52.2%
71
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 17 wks
51.9%
90
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 18 wks
51.2%
18
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 18 wks
51.0%
3
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 18 wks
50.8%
86
Surrey And Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust South East South East 18 wks
50.5%
37
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London London 18 wks
51.4%
-
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 18 wks
50.8%
70
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust East of England East of England 18 wks
50.5%
51
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 18 wks
50.3%
14
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 18 wks
49.9%
70
University Hospitals Of North Midlands NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 18 wks
49.5%
205
Practice Plus Group Hospital - Southampton South East South East 18 wks
49.3%
7
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 18 wks
49.1%
26
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 19 wks
48.4%
142
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 19 wks
47.8%
12
The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 19 wks
48.2%
-
Tetbury Hospital Trust Ltd South West South West 19 wks
40.7%
-
York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 19 wks
48.2%
133
Ashford And St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 19 wks
45.4%
307
Wye Valley NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 19 wks
46.7%
5
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 19 wks
47.2%
1
Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 19 wks
47.5%
42
Countess Of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 19 wks
47.0%
2
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 19 wks
47.4%
18
Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 20 wks
47.1%
16
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust London London 20 wks
46.3%
3
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 20 wks
46.0%
110
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 20 wks
45.4%
120
East And North Hertfordshire NHS Trust East of England East of England 20 wks
46.4%
71
University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 20 wks
45.1%
330
The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 21 wks
43.5%
-
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 21 wks
44.1%
59
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust London London 21 wks
43.2%
153
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 21 wks
44.4%
93
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust North West North West 21 wks
43.7%
16
Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust London London 21 wks
43.4%
54
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 22 wks
42.3%
87
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 22 wks
42.5%
308
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 23 wks
42.8%
748
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 23 wks
39.9%
132
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust North East and Yorkshire North East and Yorkshire 23 wks
42.4%
44
Portsmouth Hospitals University National Health Service Trust South East South East 23 wks
41.7%
462
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 23 wks
38.8%
253
South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust Midlands Midlands 23 wks
39.2%
31
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust South West South West 24 wks
36.8%
312
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 25 wks
36.4%
167
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 25 wks
32.8%
45
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust South East South East 26 wks
36.0%
271
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust Midlands Midlands 26 wks
25.9%
4
Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust East of England East of England 28 wks
32.7%
1,016

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the NHS Oral & Dental Surgery waiting list?

The NHS Oral & Dental Surgery waiting list in England has about 315,652 patients currently waiting for treatment. The typical wait is around 16 weeks (nearly 4 months), based on data from 114 hospitals. Waiting times vary significantly between hospitals, so it's worth comparing your options before accepting a referral.

How long will I wait to see an oral surgeon on the NHS?

The headline NHS waiting time is the wait from your GP's referral to your first outpatient appointment, which is the first time you actually see an oral surgeon. Nationally this currently averages about 16 weeks. In our data it ranges from as short as 3 weeks at the fastest hospital to 28 weeks at the slowest, so where you are referred matters. Any tests, procedures or treatment that follow that first appointment may have their own waits on top.

What percentage of Oral & Dental Surgery patients are seen within 18 weeks?

Across the NHS, 57% of Oral & Dental Surgery patients are currently seen within the 18-week target. The NHS constitutional standard is 92%.

Can I choose which hospital I'm referred to?

Yes. Under the NHS Constitution, patients in England have the right to choose which hospital they are referred to for a first outpatient appointment. You can use WaitRadar to compare waiting times and discuss your options with your GP.

Source: NHS England RTT statistics. about our methodology

This is informational data, not medical advice. Always discuss referral options with your GP. Full disclaimer.