As part of the government’s drive to bring down the cost of living, the Chancellor has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) urging them to launch a market study into private dentistry costs and practices.
There are increasing concerns that patients are paying more than they should because of hidden costs, overtreatment and lack of information on price, ownership and quality of treatment.
It comes alongside reports of private practices offering to take on children of customers as NHS patients only if parents sign on as private patients.
The Chancellor also informed the CMA that following their investigation into petrol forecourts and recommendations to bring greater price transparency, Motorists will start to see data in their mapping apps, satnavs and price comparison websites which will let them know where to get the best price at the pump for fuel in their local area early next year.
This scheme was a recommendation made by the Competition and Markets Authority after they found that the amount retailers make in profit on every £1 spent on fuel has more than doubled at some supermarkets, with similar increases at other forecourts.
During this time, this government has kept fuel duty frozen to support households and businesses, which suggests that savings on fuel duty have not been passed onto customers
Fuel providers will have to report changes to fuel prices in near real time so that savvy drivers can compare to get the best price. Government officials estimate that this could knock £40 a year off a household’s annual fuel bill or up to 6p a litre.
With prices openly available, this is also an incentive for fuel providers to offer drivers more competitive prices.
The Chancellor also confirmed that the government is ready to act on the CMA’s recent investigation into the veterinary sector, with further details due to be set out in due course
This comes as the Chancellor prepares for the Budget next week of which tackling the cost of living is a key priority while also focusing on continuing to cut waiting lists and bring down the national debt.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:“The scourge of hidden costs, lack of transparency and overtreatment has blighted families in need of dental treatment for too long.
“That’s why I want to see urgent action taken to help reduce prices, whilst the cost of living still puts pressure on families across the country.
“At next week’s Budget I’ll set out the fair choices I will take to deliver on the public’s priorities: cutting NHS waiting lists, cutting national debt and cutting the cost of living.”
The British Dental Association has applauded a video message from Nick Whelan, the student who nearly died of sepsis for want of a dental appointment.
Nick was forced to undergo life-saving surgery after he was admitted to Ninewells Hospital with septicaemia in 2021. Nick, 22, said he had been struggling to get a dentist appointment after his toothache began at the tail-end of the first lockdown in September 2020.
In a video message marking World Oral Health Day, Nick says: “I have a simple message for everyone out there across the UK and beyond.
“To every patient waiting in pain, to every politician and policymaker, and to every dentist worried about what might come through that door next.
Dental health matters. It is not an optional extra. It is a vital part of our lives.
“Dental care is healthcare.
“Nobody should have to go through what I did, but I know until dentistry is taken seriously they will.”
Across the UK the BDA has been pressing for urgent reform to give NHS dentistry a sustainable future.
BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said:“Nick has offered a message that every Health Minister in every part of the UK needs to hear.
“The tone is very much ‘Horrible Histories’. The real scandal is this is the reality facing patients in a wealthy 21st century nation.”
With Dry January in full swing, many are swapping alcohol for healthier alternatives like protein shakes to support their wellbeing goals. But could your daily shake be secretly sabotaging your oral health?
Nina Gonzero, an oral specialist at Avangart Dental Clinic, warns that some popular protein drinks may harm your teeth and breath more than you realise.
The Hidden Oral Health Risks of Protein Shakes
While protein shakes are praised for their convenience and nutritional benefits, they often contain sugars, acidic ingredients, and artificial sweeteners that can negatively impact oral hygiene. The sugars feed bacteria in the mouth, leading to plaque buildup, tooth decay, and even persistent bad breath.
“People often sip protein shakes throughout the day, unknowingly exposing their teeth to a prolonged acidic environment,” says Nina Gonzero. “This not only weakens enamel but also contributes to dry mouth, which makes bad breath worse.”
Why Your Breath Might Suffer
Protein itself can be a culprit when it comes to bad breath. As the body breaks down protein, it produces sulphur compounds that can linger in the mouth, creating unpleasant odours. Coupled with a lack of hydration and sugary additives, protein shakes can quickly become a double threat to oral health.
Top Tips for Protecting Your Smile While Staying Healthy
Rinse with Water: Drink water immediately after your shake to wash away residues.
Avoid Sugary Shakes: Opt for low-sugar or unsweetened protein powders to reduce bacteria-feeding sugars.
Brush and Floss: Maintain a consistent oral hygiene routine, especially after consuming shakes.
Chew Sugar-Free Gum: This helps stimulate saliva production and neutralise acids in the mouth.
Use a Straw: Minimise contact with teeth by drinking through a straw.
Balancing Wellbeing and Oral Health
As people strive to prioritise health and fitness this January, it’s crucial to maintain a balance that also protects your teeth. “Protein shakes can absolutely fit into a healthy lifestyle,” Gonzero adds. “The key is to be mindful of their effects on oral health and take simple steps to mitigate any risks.”
Responding to new FOI data from the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the British Dental Association Scotland has warned lifetime registration figures are effectively meaningless, and that there can be no complacency from government or opposition over the future of the service.
New figures show nearly 40% of Scots registered with a dentist have not seen one in two years. 39.5% of all those registered with a practice have not been to one in 24 months, and that includes 1.8 million adults and 177,318 children. 80,000 children have not seen a dentist in five years. More than a quarter of adults (28.8%) who are registered with a dentist have not seen one in five years.
Reform to the discredited high volume/low margin model of care NHS dentistry in Scotland works to took place in November 2023. However, official data shows access problems remain the norm and the oral health gap between rich and poor is widening.
Research last summer found that no practices were able to take on new adult NHS patients within three months in Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Inverclyde, Orkney, Perth and Kinross and Shetland.
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said:“The Scottish Government likes to talk about registration when what really matters is participation.
“Scotland faces widening oral health inequalities. There’s no room for complacency from anyone at Holyrood.”
Consultation asks whether newly qualified dentists should commit to delivering a minimum amount of NHS work after graduating or repay some training fees
Proposals would require dental graduates to work in the NHS for several years after graduating or repay their training fees
Part of Westminster government and NHS plan to recover dentistry and boost the dental workforce through 40% training expansion
Training an individual dentist can cost up to around £300,000, of which costs in the region of £200,000 are not repayable by the student.
However, a growing proportion of dentists are opting to go straight into private practice or are choosing to deliver little to no NHS work shortly after completing postgraduate dental foundation training.
Of more than 35,000 dentists registered with the General Dental Council in England, just over 24,000 delivered some NHS care in England in 2022 to 2023. This means nearly one-third of registered dentists are not contributing to NHS dentistry and may be working solely in private practice.
Under its consultation, which will run for 8 weeks, the government is asking whether newly qualified dentists should commit to delivering a minimum amount of NHS dental care for a minimum number of years after graduating, and whether they should repay some of the public funding invested in their training if they do not.
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I want to make access to dentistry faster, simpler and fairer for everyone – and part of this is ensuring that dentists are supporting the NHS with their skills and expertise.
Taxpayers make a significant investment in training dentists, so it is only right to expect dental graduates to work in the NHS once they’ve completed their training.
“This builds on our dental recovery plan, which set out how we will create up to 2.5 million extra appointments this year alone and is already showing results with an extra 500 practices providing appointments.”
Thursday’s proposals form part of the government’s overall plan to accelerate the recovery of NHS dentistry from the COVID-19 pandemic and reform how NHS dentistry operates.
They build on the aims of NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to expand the dental workforce and improve access to NHS dental care, especially in under-served parts of the country.
The UK government believes working in the NHS will give dental graduates the best start to their careers, by giving them the broadest range of experience, great support from strong teams of dental professionals and the most comprehensive training.
Experience in NHS dentistry helps to produce well-rounded clinicians who can work alongside different professions and deliver high quality and safe patient care, and can be supplemented by additional work in private dentistry. The government believes this balance is better for our skilled dental workforce and better for the patients they treat.
NHS dentists are currently delivering a greater volume of NHS treatment than the year before, with ‘courses of treatments delivered’ increasing by 23% in 2022 to 2023, compared to the previous year.
Primary Care Minister Andrea Leadsom said: “I want to thank our hard-working dentists for their efforts in treating more and more patients over recent years and helping us improve access to care.
“Through our dental recovery plan, we’re helping the sector recover from the pandemic and making NHS dentistry a more attractive career choice.
“Today’s proposals will ensure dental graduates benefit from the broad experience and comprehensive training of working in the NHS, while also delivering value for money for the taxpayer.”
There is currently no requirement for dentists to work in the NHS following the completion of their training. In contrast, a graduate medic in the UK must undertake a minimum of one year of foundation training to register as a doctor, followed by an additional year of foundation training and at least 3 years of general practice specialty training to become a GP.
Jason Wong, Chief Dental Officer for England, said: “Dental services were severely impacted by the pandemic, and it is a priority for the NHS to improve access, so it is easier for people to see a dentist.
“We launched our dental recovery plan earlier this year to deliver millions more appointments across England – and boosting the workforce is one step we can take to achieve this.”
Neil Carmichael, Executive Chair of the Association of Dental Groups, said: “We welcome the chance to engage with this consultation and ensure the NHS benefits from the skills of our graduate dentists.
“We need to see more trained dentists entering the profession and we will work with the government to ensure these proposals reflect the sector’s mixed economy and considers the needs of both NHS and private dentistry.”
Louise Ansari, CEO at Healthwatch England, said: “We welcome the opportunity for the public to have their say about these long-term proposals to address dental workforce issues, especially as access to NHS appointments continues to be one of the main issues we hear about from people across the country.
“We also look forward to seeing separate government proposals on reforming the NHS dental contract in the coming months, as set out in the dental recovery plan.
“In the meantime, NHS bodies that plan and fund dentistry across England should take concerted and imaginative action to ensure people in greatest need can get dental care quickly.”
The launch of the consultation is the latest milestone in the delivery of the Westminster government’s dental recovery plan.
Since the plan was published in February, the government and NHS have worked to:
introduce a new patient premium, supporting dentists to take on new patients – with more than 500 more practices saying they are now open to new patients compared to January
launch the ‘golden hello’ recruitment scheme to incentivise dentists to work in under-served areas
raise the minimum units of dental activity (UDA) rate to £28 this year, making NHS work more attractive and sustainable
Responding to the proposal that Dental graduates in England could be compelled to work in the NHS work or face repaying some training costs,Prof. Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, commented: “As most dental graduates already start their careers in the NHS and contribute to NHS patient care as an undergraduate student and during their early professional career, we are uncertain of what practical benefits this proposal will have.
“Most dental graduates have also accrued significant personal debts to complete their dental training, usually in excess of £100,000. Therefore, we believe this proposal is likely to make NHS dentistry even more unattractive for dentists to provide NHS dental care as their career develops.
“As per our election manifesto, we believe a more constructive approach is needed that focuses on creating a positive working environment to encourage sustained delivery of NHS practice. This means reforming the current dental contract, improving workforce planning and a renewed emphasis on preventative health and reducing health inequalities.
“We believe positive rather than punitive steps are required to lift morale, improve dental recruitment and retention, and improve access to services for the benefit of patients and the population.”
New payment system to expand services comes into force
NHS dental teams will receive increased fees under a new payment structure from today (1 November) to help them to provide a comprehensive range of NHS care and treatment.
Examinations will continue to be free for all patients, with pregnant and new mothers, those claiming certain benefits, and the under 26s remaining exempt from treatment charges – around a quarter of all adult NHS dental patients.
A new awareness campaign called Brush Up will help people know where to get information and help to meet the costs.
For dentists, the new fee structure will streamline payments, cut bureaucracy and give them greater authority over the treatments offered.
In line with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), dentists will now also be able to advise patients on how often they need check ups based on their oral health, rather than everyone being seen every six months.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Our aim with this payment reform is to incentivise dentists to remain in the NHS, provide long term sustainability to the sector, and improve access for patients.
“Replacing the existing fees with a new improved set will allow dentists to provide a full range of NHS care and treatment, while those unable to pay will continue to get help.
“All patients will continue to receive free NHS dental examinations and I want to reassure those who are exempt from NHS dental charges – including children and young people under 26, and those on certain benefits – they will continue to receive free care and treatment. People on a low income are also eligible for support, details of which can be found on NHS Inform.”
You may have heard about changes to NHS dental care in Scotland.
What isn’t changing is that you can still get a comprehensive range of treatments through the NHS. And for some people, it could be completely free.
Supporting the Brush Up campaign, Chair of the General Dental Council, Lord Toby Harris, said: “It’s important that everyone knows what to expect from dental healthcare. Dental professionals across the UK understand that patients’ interests must come first.
“They also know that this principle is woven through their professional standards. Everyone should have confidence that the whole dental team will continue to prioritise patients’ interests.”
The Scottish Government was unable to answer a parliamentary question regarding the number of NHS dentists who require a deposit to be paid before registering with them.
In response to a question submitted by Sarah Boyack MSP, the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jenni Minto, said that the information requested “is not held centrally by the Scottish Government,” raising concerns about the scale of the problem and the number of people it affects.
Earlier in May, the Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian, Sarah Boyack discovered that 75% of NHS Dentists in Edinburgh and Lothians are no longer accepting new NHS patients and some of those that are accepting new patients, are charging patients to do so.
The Lothian MSP has recently released findings showing that more than 3 in 4 Dental Practices serving patients in Musselburgh are no longer accepting NHS Patients.
This comes amid concerns over dentistry services failing to recover from the pandemic and fears that NHS dentists are becoming increasingly inaccessible.
Commenting Sarah Boyack, Labour MSP, said: “How can the Scottish Government get a grip of the crisis facing our NHS Dentists if they have no clue about how it is working?
“Following concerns from constituents in Edinburgh and the Lothians, that they are unable to register with an NHS Dentist I conducted research on the state of NHS Dentistry in Lothian and the finding were shocking.
“When asked about this, the Scottish Government admitted they have no clue and do not hold any information about this.
“The SNP have created a two-tiered healthcare system that prioritises those who can afford to pay over anyone else.
“It is a disgrace that in a cost-of-living crisis the SNP/Green Scottish Government knows nothing about the added costs being placed on patients, which has been caused by their managed decline of the NHS and lack of support for dentists.
“People deserve better than a botched two-tiered system that fails the most vulnerable.”
Data collected by the office of Sarah Boyack MSP on 5th May 2022 for 39 NHS Dentists in Edinburgh
Sarah Boyack MSP has highlighted the grim findings that more than 3 in 4 Dental Practices serving patients in Musselburgh are no longer accepting NHS Patients.
Following up on concerns of Musselburgh residents, Lothian MSP Sarah Boyack contacted practices serving the Musselburgh area to inquire whether they were accepting new NHS patients.
The findings also highlighted those that were accepting new patients had waiting lists of over six months on average.
Commenting Scottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “Patients in Musselburgh are being routinely let-down by the lack of NHS Dental provision.
“With more than three quarters of NHS Dentists unable to accept new patients, the people of Musselburgh have been left with a two-tiered system that routinely fails them.
“We are now seeing the devastating effects of the SNP mismanagement of our NHS, with patients spending months suffering unnecessarily whilst they are unable to see an NHS Dentists.
“This cannot carry on, The SNP must act now before more communities like Musselburgh are left without access to NHS services.”
Data collected by the office of Sarah Boyack MSP for the 20 closest practices to Musselburgh on 5/5/23:
The Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee has launched a new survey of Scotland’s dentists as part of a snapshot inquiry examining the recovery of NHS dentistry services.
The inquiry will track progress by the Scottish Government on the aims set out in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026, which includes a commitment to return Scotland’s NHS dentistry services to pre-pandemic levels.
Dentists who provide NHS services are being invited to share their views and experiences on the recovery of services through an on-line survey which runs from Friday 5th May to Wednesday 31st May.
The inquiry will also consider the impact of additional funding for equipment and ventilation in NHS dentistry practices and the availability of access to services in communities experiencing health inequalities.
Commenting, Committee Convener, Jim Fairlie MSP said: “The COVID-19 Recovery Committee want to get the root of the issues facing Scotland’s NHS dental recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
“This inquiry will scrutinise the Scottish Government’s commitment to improve the provision of dental services as set out in the Recovery Plan.
“Scotland’s NHS dentists, who work daily on the front-line, are best placed to tell us how services are recovering, and we are encouraging them to share their experiences and views directly with Committee to inform our scrutiny and assist us in tracking progress towards recovery.”
TWO Edinburgh dental practices have become the latest to join the network of the nation’s leading dental group.
Clyde Munro has struck a deal with married dentists, Duncan Sandland and Suzanne Seaton, to acquire their Colinton Dental and Riccarton Dental practices after nearly two decades in charge.
The Glasgow-based firm will take the reins of running the business and the administration involved in caring for more than 13,000 patients; while Duncan and Suzanne, both 52, will continue to work at the practices concentrating on what they love doing most, looking after patients.
With patients coming from as far as Kingussie to the Colinton practice, and the Riccarton site catering for a large cohort of students and staff from Heriot Watt University; Duncan, Suzanne and their 11 staff have reassured their patients that both practices will continue to run as normal.
Duncan said: “We have been filtering into our new roles this past month, and solely focusing on what we love doing, being dentists. It has brought Suzanne and I great joy.
“It has been no secret that the pandemic has induced a lot of stress on the dental sector, and Brexit has made recruitment difficult in finding qualified workers. Everyone at both practices has worked hard to pull through, and it felt like this was the next natural step for the business.
“Clyde Munro offered what Suzanne and I wanted, we also had good feedback from colleagues in the sector who opted to go with Clyde Munro.”
Duncan joined the Colinton Dental Practice in 1994 as an associate, and was followed by his wife Suzanne in 2003.
In 2006, Duncan and Suzanne decided to buy the practice from founders Robbie Richards and Tom Wishart.
From there the duo took on the Riccarton Dental Practice which currently has 60% of its patients enrolled from Heriot Watt University, under their stewardship the practice grew from one part-time surgery to three full-time surgeries culminating in a move to a new premises.
Duncan and Suzanne believe patients will see improvements on the high levels of service they currently receive.
Duncan added: “We expect there to be very little change in how the business is run day-to-day. Clyde Munro is likely to improve the business functions and systems to make life easier for the staff.
“Suzanne and I will still be there as well as the other members of staff and in fact it should improve the business as a whole.
“There are a lot of benefits for us dentists in being part of a group, and for the patients I think it will create a better environment.”
This comes after Clyde Munro last month announced it has exceeded 500,000 patients under its care. It now has 70 practices, more than 200 dentists and 500 members of staff.
Having launched in 2015 with just seven practices, approximately one in 11 Scots are now patients within its network.
Kirsty Dace, Chief Development Officer at Clyde Munro, said: “Duncan and Suzanne have been tremendously easy to work with and we are delighted that they are staying to focus on their passion for dentistry.
“We want to see independent practices thrive with little impact on the front of house operations when they join the group, and both Colinton Dental Practice and Riccarton Dental Practice are no exceptions.
“We look forward to a productive relationship with Duncan, Suzanne and everyone involved at the practices.”
Practices which join the group benefit from help with business functions including HR, accounts, marketing, compliance and facilities management – relieving many dentists from gruelling and distracting administration duties.
