What the BDA does

As a professional body and trade union, our duty is to serve the needs of our members.

We work to ensure that the voice of dentists is heard across the UK by providing data, briefings and information to the Government, lobbying for change to improve conditions for dentists and their teams. We listen when members speak up, using your stories and evidence from the frontline to bring dentists together and enact change.

Together we can achieve more than we can individually. Together, we are stronger.

Priorities

Learn about our current priorities.

Lobbying

Learn about our lobbying work in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Take action

Learn how to get involved in our campaigns.

Latest advocacy news

Wales: Government must show it’s willing to listen on reform

We have warned Ministers they must show they are willing to reflect the weight of opinion from both the public and the dental profession.

England: Six months late: The latest pay cut from Government

Government has once again failed to deliver the recommendations of our pay review body, delivering another real-terms pay cut to England’s struggling NHS dental service.

England: Dentists back sales ban on energy drinks for kids

We have applauded the proposed ban on sales of high caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.

England: Contract uplift must be implemented without delay

We need confirmation of the GDPs’ contract uplift, which is nearly five months overdue.

Immigration rules change will deepen access crisis

Proposed changes to immigration rules will have a direct impact on patient access to care UK-wide, hitting key members of the dental team, and the future pipeline of dentists.

Getting involved: Giving associates a strong voice in the BDA

Contractual issues and rights and freedoms were discussed at the latest GDPC Associates Sub-committee meeting.

Take part in the NHS cost-of-service exercise

With the Government now assessing the cost of delivering NHS dentistry, we encourage all practices in England to help us make the case for fair funding, before 16 June.

Sign our petition: Make sugar the new tobacco

Our latest research highlights the shocking amount of sugar in some baby food pouches, and we are encouraging all dental team members to join our call for government to take action.

Dental health crisis hitting women hardest

We're proud to join our friends from the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) in Westminster today for the launch of their latest campaign report, lifting the lid on how the access crisis is hitting women the hardest and deepening a uniquely gendered health crisis.

Welfare reform has pushed millions away from NHS dentistry

With up to half a million recipients of Tax Credit Certificates set to lose their access to free NHS dental care from April 6 we have interrogated official data, and found millions of patients have stopped accessing NHS dentistry since the transition to Universal Credit (UC), since transition began under the last government.

Northern Ireland: Fixing the CDS workforce crisis - The starting gun has been fired

We’ve issued the challenge to the authorities in Northern Ireland that workforce growth in the community dental services needs to start now.

Northern Ireland: Demanding clarity on backpay

We are insisting on urgent clarity on pay for GDPs in Northern Ireland, following a Department of Health announcement that backdated pay will not be implemented until at least May 2025.

Campaigns and advocacy

The future of NHS dentistry: Our comprehensive plan

Dire need for change requires concrete reform. We have set out to government how we think dentistry needs to change to the benefit of dentists and your patients.

Read now

Representing you

Our vision for the CDS

The nation’s ability to deliver dental treatment for some of the most vulnerable groups in our society is at risk. Our vision is a call to action from English community dentists themselves on how to end a crisis that has gone under the radar of decision makers for far too long, asking all parties involved with community dentistry to make sure the service is finally given the priority it deserves.

Learn more Spread the word

A dark blue image with an icon of two hands holding a glowing tooth, with the words CDS Vision in white

By dentists for dentists

We are a not-for-profit organisation, owned and run by our members, who are the heart of everything we do.

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