Whitening

The tooth whitening industry is now estimated to be worth over £40million annually. According to the Oral Health Foundation, four in 10 people under 35 had already had tooth whitening by 2020. A further 48% were planning to have their teeth whitened within the following 12 months. In addition, 32% of Britons want whiter teeth, while 66% actively considered tooth whitening.

Cosmetic injectables

In its Scope of Practice guidance document, the GDC specifically identifies ‘non-surgical cosmetic injectables’ as an example of the additional procedures that a registered dentist can undertake once they have undertaken additional training and are sure they have the necessary skills and are appropriately trained, competent and indemnified.

University College London (UCL) researchers (6) surveyed who is providing cosmetic injectable services, such as Botox^®) and dermal fillers, in the UK. UCL evaluated 3,000 websites to identify 1,224 independent clinics and 3,667 practitioners who were delivering cosmetic injections such as Botox.

Of the professions represented, 32% were doctors, 13% were nurses, 24% were dentists, and 8% were dental nurses.

The UK injectables market is predicted to reach a value of £11.7 billion by 2026 (7).

Implantology

Implants have been forming an increasingly important part of mainstream dentistry for some years. More implants are being placed, in more clinical situations, by more dentists. Considering this rise in popularity, it’s hardly surprising that implant dentistry features more prominently in complaints and litigation (8). Also, the costs of implant claims typically rank higher than average.

The GDC‘s approach to implant dentistry is the same as with cosmetic injectables and our dentolegal advisors highly recommend comprehensive training. Anyone placing or restoring implants should check their indemnity arrangements provide adequate cover.

It has been estimated that the dental implantology market was worth £3.53 billion in 2023, with its value increasing further to £5.55 billion by 2030 (9).

Dental tourism

As well as higher patient demand for private treatments in the UK, there has also been an increase in willingness to travel to get access to dental treatments. Historically, this has largely been for cosmetic treatments, but more recently access problems in the UK and the cost-of-living crisis have led to a growth in tourism for routine care. Surveys show that almost all dentists have seen patients who have received treatment abroad. Of those who’ve seen cases of dental tourism, around 9 in 10 dentists say they’ve seen patients with complications that have arisen from that treatment.

Clearly, the growth of the dental tourism market has implications for the spend on dentistry in the UK. The dental tourism market in Turkey alone is projected to be $3.5 billion this year (10). Some of that will be from British patients, who could be receiving that care and spending that money in dental practices in the UK.

The BDA has been highlighting the risks involved with dental tourism to patients (11). Given the apparent prevalence of complications, the costs of remedial dental treatment need to be factored into patients’ considerations and these can far exceed any savings that come from getting treatment abroad. We’ve also challenged the GDC and other regulators to act over illegal practice in the UK, where overseas clinics are offering patients ‘consultations’ in the UK in unregistered premises and by unregulated individuals.

Notes

BDA internal analysis of the dental market
BDA annual survey of GDS dentists
NASDAL benchmarking statistics 2024 - Johnny's view
Monetary Policy Report - May 2025 | Bank of England
Patel, A. Is there a growing need for private orthodontic treatment in the UK?. BDJ In Pract 36, 15 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-023-2234-0
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery: Profiling UK injectable aesthetic practitioners: A national cohort analysis
UCL News: Two in three cosmetic surgery injections in the UK are not administered by doctors
Managing Implant Risks, Abhi Pal, SoundBite, MDDUS, June 2017
Association of Dental Implantology: Trusted implant education and community
Fine Up: https://fineupclinic.com/blog/health-tourism-statistics-in-turkey-2024/
BDJ In Practice article collection: Dental Tourism

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