NHS Dental Recovery Plan
This plan introduces a shift towards prevention and good oral health in young children and expands the dental workforce. Details of the plan include a 'new patient' payment scheme, funding, and the introduction of dental vans to provide mobile care in underrepresented areas.
What's in the plan?
- In order to treat one million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or longer, NHS dentists will get a "new patient" payment of between £15 and £50 (depending on treatment requirement).
- The NHS App and website will allow users to find out which local practices are taking on new patients. A marketing effort will be launched by the government to encourage those who haven't seen a dentist in the previous two years to get treatment.
- A new ‘Smile For Life’ programme will be rolled out to offer parents and parents-to-be advice for baby gums and milk teeth, with the aim that by the time children go to school, every child will see tooth brushing as a normal part of their day.
- Dental vans will help deliver dental treatment to people in rural and coastal areas.
- A water fluoridation programme will be rolled, which could reduce the number of tooth extractions due to decay in the most deprived areas of the country. Subject to consultation, the programme would enable an additional 1.6 million people to benefit from water fluoridation, first expanding across the North East.
