Almost three quarters of NHS dentists and 65% of dental nurses said they do not enjoy working in the NHS.
Six in 10 (61%) were also considering doing less NHS work in the next two years, according to the survey. Eight in 10 (81%) said they were expecting to carry out more private work in the same period.
Two thirds (66%) of the dentists said they think the role of mixed practice is overlooked by policy members.
One dental professional said: ‘The funding is inadequate to cover the hourly rate needed to run a practice. Our practice subsidises our NHS work with private work substantially. It would be impossible to be fully NHS and provide high-quality care to patients.’
Only 1% of the dentists said they believe the current dental funding model supports the delivery of high quality care. More than four in 10 (42%) said that the need for contract reform was the biggest issue facing dentistry.
The next most pressing issues were recruitment and retention of dentists (27%) and a lack of targeted oral health provision in children’s services (19%). A need for public awareness campaigns (10%) and geographic disparities in dental access (5%) were also mentioned.
‘The time to act is now’
These figures were outlined in Denplan’s The future of dentistry: unlocking solutions to improving oral health report.
The report also calls for the government to prioritise the following actions:
- Empower and elevate the entire dental workforce
- Prioritise and expand preventative care initiatives
- Ensure financial sustainability and reform funding models.
Nine in 10 dental professionals (91%) said that national decision-makers do not understand dentistry and how services are delivered. More than eight in 10 (83%) also said that local decision-makers were unaware of the realities of the sector.
Catherine Rutland, clinical director for Denplan, said: ‘With the government’s forthcoming NHS 10-Year Plan, our members urge policymakers to consider dentistry’s mixed economy when shaping the healthcare agenda.
‘Cross-department collaboration is essential, and the dental profession must be fully consulted in strategy development. A future where all patients have access to care, practices are fairly rewarded, and dental teams feel fulfilled requires cohesive action.
‘Oral health cannot be sidelined any longer. The time to act is now.’
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan said: ‘This report marks a critical step forward, uniting the dental sector and calling policymakers to action to ensure we can secure we act on dentistry in this parliamentary term.
‘Together we can build a healthier, more resilient dental sector that prioritises access, quality and innovation for both patients and providers.’
‘This government is committed to rebuilding dentistry’
Responding to these findings, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We have inherited a dental service where many people are struggling to find an NHS dentist and a recovery plan that is not fit for purpose.
‘This government is committed to rebuilding dentistry, but it will take time. We are working on further measures, prioritising initiatives that will see the biggest impact on access to NHS dental care.
‘We will start with an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments to help those who need it most, and reform the dental contract to encourage more dentists to offer NHS services to patients. Prevention is better than cure, so we will also introduce supervised tooth brushing for three to five-year-olds.’
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