- New reforms to the dental contract will prioritise those with
urgent and complex needs, with new measures for those with
extreme tooth decay and gum disease
- Cements manifesto commitment to deliver 700,000 additional
urgent dental appointments every year, and pledge to ramp up
preventative care for children's dental health
- Newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a minimum
period, intended to be three years, to boost appointments
Patients will find it easier to get an urgent care appointment
under planned reforms to incentivise dentists to deliver more NHS
work and fix the foundations of dentistry.
Satisfaction with NHS dentistry has fallen to a record low, with
the British Dental Association outlining that over 1 in 4 adults
are struggling to access NHS dental care.
The government is proposing a swathe of changes to tackle this,
as it opens up a major consultation on NHS dentistry contract
today to increase the amount of care.
For example, it is currently less cost effective for dentists to
take on patients who need more complex and extensive treatments
such as crowns, bridges and dentures. The government is proposing
to overhaul failing approaches like these and incentivise
dentists more.
A new, special course of treatment for patients with severe gum
disease or with at least 5 teeth with tooth decay, more money for
denture modifications, and a requirement for dentists to deliver
a set amount of urgent and unscheduled care each year, are also
part of the government's plans for dental contract reform.
The government will also bring in robust preventative measures
for children's teeth, including better use of tooth resin
sealants for children with a history of dental decay and applying
fluoride varnish on children's without a full dental
check-up.
This follows the latest stats showing that 22.4% of 5 year old
schoolchildren in England had experience of obvious dental decay,
with tooth decay the most common reason for hospital admissions
in children aged between 5 and 9 years.
Measures to make dental staff feel rewarded, incentivised and a
bigger part of the NHS are also part of the government's proposed
package.
Just last week, the government's 10 Year Health Plan set out
measures to improve dental access for all, including a
requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS
for a minimum period, intended to be three years.
Health Minister said:
“We inherited a broken NHS dental system that is in crisis.
We have already started fixing this, rolling out 700,000 urgent
and emergency appointments and bringing in supervising
toothbrushing for 3-5 year olds in the most deprived areas of the
country.
“But to get us to a place where patients feel NHS dentistry is
reliable again, we have to tackle the problems in the system at
their root.
“These reforms will bring common sense into the system again,
attracting more NHS dentists, treating those with the greatest
need first, and changing the system to make it work.
“This is essential to our Plan for Change – building an NHS fit
for the future and making sure poor oral health doesn't hold
people back from getting into work and staying healthy.”
This consultation builds on action already taken to roll out
700,000 additional appointments, address the immediate needs of
patients in pain, the introduction of a national supervised
toothbrushing programme for 3-5-year-olds, and the
recruitment of more NHS dentists through a nationwide 'Golden
Hello' scheme.
The consultation will run for six weeks, closing on Tuesday, 19
August.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The consultation document will be available on gov.uk.
