NHS dentistry

Dentistry provided by the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom was originally intended to ensure that dental treatment is available to the whole population. However, for dentistry it has been limited centrally for some time, struggling to even see 55% of the population in a two year period (HSCIC official stats http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-2015-16-annual-report ). Unlike medical care, charges are made to most people. In England, a new but experimental target system of UDAs was imposed by government on 1 April 2006, but by 2008 the Parliamentary Health Select Committee investigation found the UDAs were unfit for purpose. Sadly the Dept. Health have largely ignored that finding, introduced perpetual pilots but 90% of nhs dental practices are still limited and inhibited by UDA targets today, which everyone agrees is bad for patients. Dentists act as private contractors to the NHS, which simply put means the Dentists buy the building and equip the Surgery, hire all the staff and pay all of the running costs including wages, materials and insurarances, to provide an NHS dental service. So it's not surprising as the NHS dental system gets worse or more limited in nature and medical/dental costs rise, that practices look to the Private sector to grow or make progress. Many now believe the NHS dental system in England is unfit for purpose and are whistleblowing publicly, to warn and expose the centralised failings to develop a proper national dental health and prevention strategy. Spin and denial by Government are NO substitute for an overdue decent, if limited system (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/12079233/Third-World-dentistry-crisis-in-England.html).

According to NHS Choices "All the treatment that your dentist believes is necessary to achieve and maintain good oral health is available on the NHS. This means that the NHS provides any treatment you need to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain.". This includes if clinically necessary: dentures, crowns and bridges, orthodontistry, root canal treatment, scaling and polishing, and white fillings.

Many dentists who provide NHS services also offer additional services, such as hygienists, for payment. A dentist is allowed to refuse to provide treatment under the NHS and then offer to perform the same treatment privately. However, this practice is far from clear cut, as many dentists do not provide what they are contractually obliged to provide, and instead "upsell" in a process known as gaming.

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Wikipedia