The government has announced a series of changes to NHS dentistry in England, promising it will mark the beginning of a new chapter for the beleaguered service. Central to the plan is a move to pay dentists more for providing emergency and complex treatments, with the aim of making it easier for patients to get urgent care.
What the new dental contract changes involve
From April next year, a new standardised payment package will be introduced to incentivise dentists to take on more NHS work for urgent cases. This is designed to tackle a core problem: many dentists have reduced or stopped NHS work because the fees for common procedures often fail to cover their costs.
The reforms will specifically encourage dentists to offer urgent NHS appointments for issues like severe pain, infections, or dental trauma. Furthermore, patients requiring complex care, such as treatment for severe gum disease, will be able to access it through a single, bundled treatment package rather than over multiple visits. The government claims this could save patients an average of £225.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock stated that this is "the first step towards a new era for NHS dentistry after a decade of decline." He added that the changes aim to prevent painful conditions from escalating into avoidable hospital admissions by improving access to timely treatment.
Persistent crisis and scepticism from dental leaders
This announcement comes against a stark backdrop. A recent report by the patient watchdog, Healthwatch England, found people in need of emergency dental care are being denied NHS help, with some resorting to pulling out their own teeth. The government's own adult oral health survey shows that 41% of people have obvious tooth decay, levels comparable to the late 1990s.
While ministers have labelled the changes "the most significant modernisation of the NHS dental contract in years," the British Dental Association (BDA) has expressed deep scepticism. The union argues the plan "has no new money behind it" and represents merely the "biggest tweaks this failed contract has seen in its history."
Shiv Pabary, Chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee, said that while the tweaks might offer some interim relief, they are not a long-term solution. "We need a response proportionate to the challenges we face, to give NHS dentistry a sustainable future," he emphasised.
Calls for transparency and fundamental reform
Healthwatch England has welcomed the focus on urgent care but cautioned that short-term adjustments have repeatedly failed to resolve the underlying crisis. Chris McCann, the organisation's deputy chief executive, highlighted a lack of clarity around the government's pledge to deliver 700,000 new urgent dental appointments.
"To boost public confidence, transparent reporting of progress against current targets and details of longer-term, fundamental reform of the NHS dental contract are needed," McCann stated. The success of these initial steps will likely be judged on whether they can begin to dissolve the 'dental deserts' across England and restore public faith in accessing NHS dental care.
