BDA voices worries about impact of falling dentistry earnings

The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned the government of the potentially dire consequences of a recent drop in dental earnings.

BDA analysis of new official figures on earnings and expense levels in NHS dental practices has revealed that self-employed associate dentists and practice owners across England and Wales have seen their taxable income fall by 35 percent in real terms over the last decade.

Real-terms falls in Scotland and Northern Ireland of well over one-quarter have also been recorded since 2009 – a serious problem given that NHS dentists do not receive any capital investment from central government. 

Since profits serve to fund all improvements in equipment, training and facilities for NHS practices, the collapse in earnings could impair the ability of dentists to provide a consistently high standard of care.

According to the BDA, the government has taken 170 million pounds of direct funding out of NHS dentistry in England since 2010, with one of the consequences being a rise in dental charges that are leading many patients to consult their GPs instead of their dentists.

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, the BDA's chair of general dental practice, said: "A wilful singling out of an entire sector of dedicated health professionals is irresponsible, unsustainable, and carries consequences for millions of NHS patients."

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