The escalating cost of private dental care is placing many individuals in a challenging financial position as they struggle to access National Health Service (NHS) dentistry. Patients report being forced to pay for private treatments, even when entitled to free NHS care during pregnancy, leading to significant personal expense.
Sophie Bingham, a 32-year-old mother from Suffolk, recounted her experience of paying for private dental check-ups and fillings since she was 18. Despite holding a maternity exemption certificate, she was informed it could not be used at private practices. Consequently, she paid approximately £70 for check-ups during her pregnancy and the first year postpartum, and incurred a £200 cost for her first filling. Bingham expressed frustration, stating that pregnancy had affected her teeth, and she felt she could not afford as many check-ups as needed, diverting funds that could have been used for her daughter.
The British Dental Association (BDA) acknowledged the difficulties faced by patients, noting that individuals should not be compelled to pay for private care. BDA chair Eddie Crouch stated that while some choose private treatment, many feel forced into it or forgo necessary care altogether. He attributed the price increases to high inflation within the sector and suggested that dentists often need to subsidize NHS work with income from private patients due to insufficient NHS reimbursement.
According to the BDA's submission to a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation, the cost of providing NHS dentistry in England is £4.2 billion, with government funding amounting to only £3 billion, leaving a £1.2 billion shortfall. This financial gap is a primary driver for dental practices increasing their private work, with reports indicating that a third of practices are shifting towards more private services, and over a quarter are now exclusively private.
Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust health think-tank, warned that this trend could have severe consequences. She highlighted that at a time of economic pressure and rising living costs, the situation risks excluding people from dental care entirely, emphasizing the urgent need for reforms to the NHS system. Governments across the UK are reportedly increasing investment and altering dental contracts to improve patient choice. In England, a comprehensive overhaul of NHS dentistry is planned by 2029. The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that private dentistry will be subject to scrutiny, prompting the CMA's investigation, and stated that no one should have to choose between their bills and dental health.