Major change to NHS dentistry will assist pressing sufferers as hundreds of thousands miss out on care
Changes to the flawed NHS contract in England will mean dentists are incentivised to offer urgent NHS care for serious cases such as infections, severe pain or trauma to teeth
Dentists will be paid more to see patients who urgently need treatment under major reforms to help people desperately struggling to get care.
Changes to the flawed NHS contract in England from April 2026 will mean dentists are incentivised to offer urgent NHS care for serious cases such as infections, severe pain or trauma to teeth.
Patients with complex problems like decay in several teeth or severe gum disease will be able to book a package of treatment rather than coming back for multiple appointments – saving them around £225.
It marks a major victory for the Mirror’s Dentists for All campaign, which sounded the alarm on the state of the service after a decade of Tory austerity.
Most dental practices in England are not taking on new NHS patients and millions of people can’t get a dentist, leaving some resorting to ripping their own teeth out.
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Analysis of GP figures has found the unmet need for NHS dentistry in England currently stands at nearly 14million – over 1 in 4 adults. And last week, a major national survey found struggles to access care have become so bad that 41% of adults in England had rotten teeth, up from 28% in 2009 and similar to levels in 1998.
Care Minister 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.”
The British Dental Association (BDA) hailed the changes but warned it “cannot be the end of the road” in the battle to fix NHS dentistry. Shiv Pabary, Chair of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee, said: “These are the biggest tweaks this failed contract has seen in its history.
“We do hope changes can make things easier for practices and patients in the interim, but this cannot be the end of the road. We need a response proportionate to the challenges we face, to give NHS dentistry a sustainable future.”
It comes as a think tank called for £150-a-year dental vouchers to be brought in to “end the postcode lottery” of care. Policy Exchange said the vouchers could pay for dental insurance or be put towards check-ups and hygiene appointments.
But the BDA said the plan came “with the sound of barrels being scraped”, and risked leaving the most vulnerable struggling to afford care while subsidising those paying for private dentistry.
“NHS desperately needs investment, but this policy would not end dental deserts. It could easily mean spending more money on less access,” said chairman Eddie Crouch. “A struggling service urgently requires real reform and sustainable funding. We don’t need distractions, or detours into ideological comfort zones.”
