Thursday 23 Jan 2025
Government challenged to deliver on supervised toothbrushing
The Government has made the right call on supervised toothbrushing, but it needs to put its money where its mouth is.
Dentists across the UK are working to NHS contracts that are not fit for purpose. Without change there is no hope of ending an access crisis impacting millions of patients.
Discredited contracts are fuelling an exodus from the NHS. Dentists are on a treadmill. The payments they receive often bears little relation to the work they do, and some treatments can be delivered at a financial loss. These systems fail high needs patients, who require and deserve more time in the chair.
We've seen tweaks to failed systems. What's required is fundamental reform and sustainable funding alongside a model of care that properly rewards dentists for prevention and supports work with the patients who need care the most.
We lead the case for change on behalf of all dentists, in formal negotiations, and in our campaign work to fight for fair pay.