Thurrock has the fewest number of dental practices offering NHS services per head in Essex, according to new analysis.

There are about 10 practices for every 100,000 people in the district, which is one of the lowest figures for any local authority in England.

The Local Government Association examined the latest data from NHS England.

"For millions, NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist, especially among those who need care the most," said British Dental Association chairman Eddie Crouch.

"The government can save this service, but that will require real ambition underpinned by sustainable funding."

The mean number of active dental practices offering NHS services per 100,000 in people in England is 16.

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has the fewest practices per 100,000 people - at 9.9.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it had begun a rollout of 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments and a "golden hello" scheme of recruiting more dentists in areas of most need.

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"This government inherited a broken NHS dental system but we are getting on with fixing it," they said.

They also said they were reforming the NHS dental contract - with a shift to focus on prevention and retention of NHS dentists - and were rolling out supervised tooth brushing for three to five-year-olds.