The government has revealed the latest overhaul of the NHS dental contract, with prioritisation given to patients with the most urgent dental needs.
Dubbed ‘the most significant modernisation of the NHS dental contract in years’ by the government, the changes follow a consultation with the sector and the public.
The reforms – which will be introduced from April next year – will include incentives for dentists to provide emergency and complex treatments through the introduction of a standardised payment package.
The changes include:
- A new, time-limited care pathway for patients with more complex dental needs
- Better payments for more complex treatment, which is often poorly paid under the current contract
- Payments linked to activity that helps reduce dental disease, rather than just treating problems once they occur
- New funding to support clinical audits and peer review within dental practices
- A requirement for practices to provide a set level of urgent dental care, with improved pay for this work.
Minister for care 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.’
How has the profession initially responded?
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: ‘The proposed reforms acknowledge some of the pressures within NHS dentistry, particularly for patients with complex needs, but they stop short of the fundamental change the system requires. Adjusting contractual mechanisms may improve continuity of care for a small cohort of patients, but it does not resolve the structural problems that limit access or drive dentists away from NHS provision.
‘Without sustained investment in prevention, early intervention and population-level public health measures, demand will continue to exceed capacity. A model that remains weighted towards managing disease rather than preventing it risks perpetuating the very pressures these reforms are meant to address.’
Shiv Pabary, chair of the British Dental Association’s (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 road. We need a response proportionate to the challenges we face, to give NHS dentistry a sustainable future.’
The public consultation ran for six weeks from 8 July to 19 August 2025, with 60% from individuals sharing personal views, 33% from individuals sharing professional views, and 7% from organisations.
More to follow.
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