New dental training centre to open in Barking

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 25. November 2025

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BARKING, England: Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council, has announced the opening of a state-of-the-art academic dental centre in central Barking in September 2026. The clinic will train the next generation of dentists and help address vacant National Health Service (NHS) dentist positions. It aims to improve the oral and overall health of residents in the borough and wider region.

A new dental training centre in Barking will help to fill vacant National Health Service dentist posts. (Image: Queen Mary University of London)

The effects of the national shortage of dentists and dental appointments have been profound in England. Data shows that more than 3,000 NHS dentist positions in the UK are currently vacant and that 4,079 NHS dentists are within five years of retirement.

In East London, access to NHS dental services is especially limited. NHS data for Barking and Dagenham shows that 65% of children aged 3–5 and almost 80% of adults aged 18–34 currently have no access to NHS dental services and that 40% of children have dental caries. Given the clear link between oral health and general health, the partnership could help improve the overall health of people in one of the country’s most deprived areas.

The project has secured a £4.1 million (€4.6 million^*) investment through the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funding programme. It will train 130 Queen Mary dental students annually and is expected to provide NHS dental care to over 5,000 patients each year. This will be the fifth student-led, community-based dental clinic established by Queen Mary to support its local communities.

Speaking on the partnership, Prof. Sir Mark Caulfield, vice-principal for health at Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, said in a university press release: “Queen Mary’s new dental training facility at Maritime House represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform oral health and wider well-being for the residents of Barking and Dagenham. By bringing world-class dental education directly into the community, we are removing long-standing barriers to access and ensuring that those who need care the most can receive it free of charge, close to home.”

Prof. Colin Bailey, CBE, president and principal of the university, added: “Throughout its 240-year history, Queen Mary has been committed to tackling inequalities and improving the lives of people in East London and beyond.” He added that the initiative will contribute to training urgently needed dentists and thereby help reduce dental inequalities across the UK.

The new centre is being established under a long-term partnership between Queen Mary and the Barking and Dagenham Council, set out in a ten-year memorandum of understanding managed through the university’s SHAPE Institute for Health. The collaboration supports the borough’s role in the NHS National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme and focuses on tackling health inequalities through community-based, research-led solutions while creating local jobs and new opportunities for education and research.

Council leader Dominic Twomey said that the investment will bring a world-class health facility into the borough at a time when access to dental care has become a “postcode lottery”. He also noted that the extension of Queen Mary’s Institute of Dentistry will provide broader community and economic benefits, including job creation and positioning Barking and Dagenham as a national training hub.

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Dental care Dental profession Dental training Dentist shortage National Health Service NHS dental crisis Oral health Queen Mary University of London

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