The government has announced an overhaul of NHS dentistry, that means that patients will be able to get urgent dentist appointments more easily.
The changes will come into force from April 2026, will make sure that the NHS dentistry budget delivers value for money for the taxpayer by diverting funds into better and more effective treatments for those who need it most.
Under current circumstances, a patient with tooth decay in several teeth or severe gum disease would require complex treatment would need to be treated over multiple appointments. For a patient this is hard to co-ordinate and book with a dentist, while for a dentist, this would be costly and time consuming.
Under the changes, this patient would be able to secure a single comprehensive package of treatment with a dentist over a longer period, tailored to their needs. This could save a patient up to £225 in fees. Dentists will be incentivised to deliver this under a new standardised payment package.
At the moments, patients can also struggle to find dental practices that will treat people with urgent needs and have to choose to live with the pain or travel out of their local area to find somewhere that can treat them.
Under the proposed reforms, urgent dental care will become a core part of what NHS dental practices must provide through the new contract.
Dental nurses will be encouraged to apply fluoride varnish to children’s teeth helping maintain good oral health.
Under the reforms, dental staff will receive a fairer payment for applying fissure sealants to protect children’s teeth from decay and NHS dental teams will also receive more support through annual reviews, learning and development.
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said: "We inherited a broken NHS dental system and have worked at pace to start fixing it – rolling out urgent and emergency appointments and bringing in supervised toothbrushing for young children in the most deprived areas.
"Now we are tackling the deep-rooted problems so patients can have faith in NHS dentistry – these changes will make it easier for anyone with urgent dental needs to get NHS treatment, preventing painful conditions from spiralling into avoidable hospital admissions.
"This is about putting patients first and supporting those with the greatest need, while backing our NHS dentists, making the contract more attractive, and giving them the resources to deliver more.
"This marks the first step towards a new era for NHS dentistry after a decade of decline, one that delivers for patients and our dedicated dental professionals."
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said: "We inherited a broken NHS dental system and have worked at pace to start fixing it – rolling out urgent and emergency appointments and bringing in supervised toothbrushing for young children in the most deprived areas.
"Now we are tackling the deep-rooted problems so patients can have faith in NHS dentistry – these changes will make it easier for anyone with urgent dental needs to get NHS treatment, preventing painful conditions from spiralling into avoidable hospital admissions.
"This is about putting patients first and supporting those with the greatest need, while backing our NHS dentists, making the contract more attractive, and giving them the resources to deliver more.
"This marks the first step towards a new era for NHS dentistry after a decade of decline, one that delivers for patients and our dedicated dental professionals."
Neil Carmichael, Executive Chair, The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) said: "We broadly welcome the dental contract reforms and look forward to receiving more details as soon as possible in the new year so that practices have the time and ability to prepare to implement these changes. The ADG was part of the consultation process and it is good to see that steps are being taken to address the underpayment of more complex care, as well as support urgent care.
"A continuing priority for our members, however, is ensuring that the necessary steps are being taken to shore up the NHS England dental workforce, which we know is short by over 2,500 dentists. Embracing the whole dental workforce is crucial, so to see in the plan further encouragement of the team including dental nurses to take on treatments, with fairer recompense, is a positive move."
