Overview

• A six-week public consultation opened July 7 and will close on August 19 to gather views on a revamped NHS dental contract
• Ministers propose requiring newly qualified dentists to commit three years to NHS practice and mandating annual urgent and unscheduled care quotas
• Plans include specialist treatment pathways for patients with severe gum disease or extensive tooth decay and increased funding for denture modifications
• Preventive measures will be boosted through supervised toothbrushing in deprived areas, wider use of resin sealants and fluoride varnish without a full check-up
• The British Dental Association warns that incremental measures cannot repair a system distorted by UDA targets and clawback penalties that have driven dentists away from the NHS