Mandatory jabs for healthcare worker could have a “devastating” consequence on stretched dental services, leading dentists have said.

The British Dental Association warned that compulsory vaccination for dental staff risks “dropping a bomb on a service already stretched to breaking point”.

It comes after a survey of high street dentists, shared with the PA news agency, found that 9% are unvaccinated.

And 1% had only had one vaccine.

Two thirds (66%) of respondents estimate all dentists operating in their practices are fully vaccinated, with less than half (48.4%) saying the same for dental nurses, who are integral to supporting the delivery of care.

The survey of 1,642 dentists operating in England, found that 30% estimate dental nurses based at their practices will leave as a result of the mandate, with nearly 15% of dentists saying they will leave themselves.

The BDA said that the NHS has not kept track of the number of dentists who are not vaccinated, with most focus on hospitals and social care.

But the mandate will also include dentists and dental nurses.

All frontline health and care staff need to be fully jabbed with two Covid-19 vaccines before April 1, or risk losing their jobs.

The BDA warned that any exodus of staff will lead to consequences for patients, many of whom are already struggling to access care, with some being told they will need to wait for three years for an appointment.

In some regions, patients have taken matters into their own hands as they struggle to access dental care, with reports of some patients pulling out their own teeth while others have used DIY filling kits.

The BDA said there are 28,000 General Dental Practitioners working in high street practice in England, and nearly 47,000 registered dental nurses.

But the polling suggests that thousands will be forced to leave when the mandate comes into force.

The BDA said that current Standard Operating Procedures, which includes twice weekly Covid tests for team members, already set a gold standard for protecting both patients and staff.

BDA chairman Eddie Crouch said: “Mandatory vaccination risks dropping a bomb on a service already stretched to breaking point.

“We now face a grim New Year where thousands of dental team members will walk as result of choices made by government, leaving thousands of vacancies that will never be filled.

“Dentists have supported the vaccine rollout, with many downing drills to play their part, but this is a road ministers must not go down.

“Dental services are already operating to a gold standard on safety.

“This mandate is a blunt instrument, which will devastating consequences for millions of patients across this country.”

On Tuesday MPs have voted to approve regulations to require NHS and social care staff to be vaccinated by April 2022.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are grateful to all our NHS staff who work incredibly hard and urgent dental care is back to pre-pandemic levels.

“Vaccinations remain our best defence against Covid-19. This is about patient safety and it’s our duty to ensure that they are as safe as can be.

“Working with organisations in the health and care sector, we will continue to support those who have not yet received the vaccination to take up the offer to protect themselves, their loved ones and their patients.”