Overview

• Lodge Causeway Dental Centre in Fishponds opened from 8am to 4pm on Saturday for new NHS registrations in person and by phone.
• Queues formed before opening, with reporters counting roughly 50–60 people outside and the practice saying about 150 were already in line.
• The practice says hiring three new dentists could allow it to register as many as 3,000 new NHS patients.
• Residents in the queue described going without NHS dental care since 2020 and being unable to afford private treatment.
• The BDA reports an estimated one in four in Bristol lack NHS dental care and cites polling showing 26% tried DIY treatment and 19% went abroad, while the government reviews contract reforms after a consultation that closed on 19 August with changes expected from April 2026.