Government cuts to clinical academia funding could leave dental schools without the senior staff needed to train the next generation of dentists, the British Dental Association has warned.
New guidance from the Office for Students, issued following direction from the education secretary, confirmed that funding allocated to clinical consultants’ pay, senior academic general practitioners’ pay and NHS pension scheme compensation will be removed.
The British Dental Association (BDA) warning comes as the government continues to expand dental training places, including 50 new places at the University of Portsmouth and the University of East Anglia from 2027.
Petros Mylonas, chair of the Dental Academic Staff Committee, said: ‘This decision poses an existential threat to a dental academic workforce already in decline and struggling to meet demand.
‘Ministers must urgently reconsider this before permanent damage is done to the profession and future dental workforce. The government says it wants more dentists, better access to care, and a stronger NHS workforce. None of these ambitions are achievable without the senior clinical academic workforce to train the next generation.
‘A new government needs to learn the critical value of these teachers, if it stands any chance of delivering on its past promises.’
‘Profound loss of capacity’ in clinical academia
Dental Schools Council census data recently found that the UK’s dental academia workforce had fallen to just 550 full-time equivalent roles. This represents a reduction of one quarter in clinical teachers, 17.6% in professors and 13.3% in lecturers.
Additionally, more than a quarter of all dental clinical academics are now over 55. At professor level, nearly two-thirds are over 55, one retirement wave away from being lost.
Professor Chris Vernazza, head of Newcastle University School of Dental Sciences, previously said: ‘Without intervention, we risk a profound loss of capacity across research, education and clinical leadership.’
Meanwhile, the government announced in June that 50 new dental school places would be split between the University of Portsmouth and the University of East Anglia from 2027. The BDA questioned how the diminishing academic workforce could be ‘expected to train an additional 50 dentists per year’.
With new dental training hubs being established in ‘dental deserts’ such as Gloucester and Sunderland, the question of whether the academic staff exists to support the expansion remains.
Follow Dentistry.co.uk on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
