Why was NHS dentistry reformed in the first place?
The changes were introduced in April 2006 in the face of widespread discontent with the previous system, both from patients and dentists. The main problem was the lack of NHS dentists, leading to difficulties accessing NHS care in some areas. This resulted in the unforgettable images of patients queuing down the street when new practices opened There has also been complaints that the fees system was overcomplicated – there were over 400 separate charges for different procedures. It also meant dentists had a financial incentive for carrying out dental procedures, rather than preventing problems before they developed. How did the reforms work? The new contract gave local managers, working for primary care trusts, responsibility for ensuring there were sufficient services available. The concept of registration was scrapped in favour of dentists being given funding for a set number of courses of treatment. It was structured so that dentists would get the same amount of money for treating s
