A new study warns that people across the country cannot afford to pay for private dental care due to ‘eye-watering increases’ in fees.
According to MyTribe Insurance’s research, the price of dental treatment has risen significantly over the past two years. Patients now pay between 14% and 32 % more than they did in 2022 for the same treatment.
The research, which was published in The Guardian paper found that patients now pay as much as £775 for a root canal, £435 for an extraction, and £325 for a filling.
The dramatic increase in private dental fees puts essential dental care out of reach of many patients, said Rachel Power, chief executive officer of the Patients Association.
This creates a cycle of danger where patients are bouncing between an unaffordable NHS system and their oral health is deteriorating. She added that the stark reality was that many people were left without a viable way to access essential dental care.
MyTribe Insurance’s analysis of six treatments from 450 dental practices in 52 UK cities and towns found that, on average, the cost of a filling went from PS105 up to PS129. This is a 23% increase.
The price of an extraction has increased from PS105 up to PS139. This is a 32% increase. Scale and polish for a half-hour is now PS75. This is a 15% increase from PS65. Initial consultations for new patients have increased by 23%, from PS65 up to PS80.
The average cost for anterior root canal treatment increased 14% from PS350 up to PS400.
It’s also a bit of a lottery based on postcode. In the east of England you will pay PS435 for a tooth extraction, while in the south-east, south-west and south-west, it is only PS350. For a filling, you’ll have to pay PS325 in the east of England.
According to a Healthwatch survey, one in five people in England avoids going to the dentist because it is too expensive. Two in five lower-income individuals also do so. It said that the recent rises in private treatment prices are “alarming”.
Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association which represents dentists said that “huge inflationary” pressures on dental practices including energy and lab bills and increased budget costs helped to explain the price increases.
He said that private practices charge higher prices in order to cover the costs of treating NHS patients as the fees received do not cover these expenses.
Private practices can reflect price increases on their services. NHS charges are set, but poor funding over the years has led to many treatments being provided at a loss. “Private dental care has effectively been cross-subsidised by NHS loss-making care.”
Dentists say they have done more private work over the past few years because they are not getting paid enough for NHS-funded treatments.
Neil Carmichael of the Association of Dental Groups, the executive chair of MyTribe, told the newspaper that the shortage of dentists is also driving up prices.
He said, “This is a classic result of having a huge demand and limited supply.” The ADG has warned for a while that the NHS and private sector need 3,000 additional dentists.
This huge gap reduces access to all dental care. As overhead costs rise and demand continues to grow, there will be an increase in prices.
The Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said that it would take time to rebuild NHS dentistry. We will begin with 700,000 additional urgent appointments for those in the most need, and reforming the dental contract to encourage dentists to provide NHS services to their patients.
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