Dentists called upon to help save the NHS service in big win for Mirror campaign

A first stage towards saving NHS dentistry has been launched by the Government in a major win for the . Dentists across the country will be consulted on their costs to help revamp the “flawed” payment contract which sees them make a loss on some procedures and has caused an exodus to the private sector.

Separately the Mirror’s Dentists for All campaign is set to be debated in the to discuss why only around half the population are accessing NHS care. Contract reform is a key demand of our campaign and the debate will put pressure on the Treasury to fully fund the service after over a decade of real terms cuts under the Tories.

Dentists across England are being urged to take part in a new nationwide survey to help inform the government’s reform of the hated dental contract.

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Dentistry Minister Stephen Kinnock said: “We are working to fix an NHS dentistry sector left broken by years of neglect. We have already rolled out an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments and introduced a supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children in the most deprived communities.

“More work is needed, but to find the right solution we must make sure we are clear about the problem. Through this survey, we will gain a better understanding of the pressures faced by the sector so we can fix them and deliver better care for patients through our Plan for Change.”

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backbench MP Melanie Onn MP has been granted a three-hour Parliamentary debate on the crisis next Thursday and will pay tribute to the Mirror’s Dentists for All campaign.

A Parliamentary report by the Health Select Committee branded the NHS dental payment' contract “not fit for purpose” and described the state of the service as "unacceptable in the 21st century". It effectively sets quotas on the maximum number of NHS patients a dentist can see as it caps the number of procedures they can perform each year.

Dentists also get paid the same for delivering three or 20 fillings, often leaving them out of pocket. It has incentivised a situation where patients most in need of complex treatment are least welcome at NHS dental practices. At the same time over a decade of real terms funding cuts under the Tories means the NHS dental budget for England is only enough to treat around half of the population.

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Lack of funding and the outdated payment system means most dental practices are no longer accepting new adult patients. The incoming Labour government had promised to reform the dental contract but negotiations have been held up by the Treasury which has been reluctant to commit to a substantial funding boost.

Shiv Pabary, chair of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, said: “This is an important move from the Government. Saving NHS dentistry will be impossible without a clear sense of what it costs to keep this service afloat. Austerity left practices delivering care at a loss. No business can operate like this. Dentists can spell out the facts, but the Treasury will need to act on them.”

The professional body warned the Public Accounts Committee earlier this year that the Treasury has become reliant on practices delivering care at a loss - fuelling an exodus of NHS dentists into lucrative private work. The BDA estimates a typical practice loses over £40 delivering a set of NHS dentures and £7 for every new patient exam.

NHS dental charges have now gone up by almost half in the last decade, well above inflation. Patients are being asked to pay an ever greater share of the overall NHS dentistry budget for England which has remained at around £3 billion for 15 years. This has meant a £1 billion real terms cut over this period due to inflation.

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It means 13 million Brits are living with an “unmet need” for dental care according to official data. Recent polling suggested that among those who could not get an NHS dental appointment, 26% performed DIY dentistry such as yanking out their own teeth and 19% went abroad for treatment.

Melanie Onn MP said: "I’m pleased this Labour Government has brought forward a credible plan to fix NHS dentistry – now we need to make sure it’s implemented swiftly. In Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, people often tell me they’re struggling to get an NHS appointment or being pushed into private care they can’t afford. We can’t let this crisis drag on any longer."

The Government says the results of its survey of dentists will inform its dental reform programme and the annual pay review process conducted by the independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB).

Practice owners who complete the anonymous survey can also register their interest in participating in follow-up interviews to provide more detailed insights into the financial challenges they face. The survey is open to all dental practices across England until 16 June 2025. Click to take part.