Norwich dentist urges government to freeze NHS dental charges
British Dental Association are warning thousands are thinking of going private due to the public sector's lack of funding
Last updated 25th May 2022
A dentist in Norfolk is urging the Government to freeze NHS dental charges - so everyone can still access care during the cost of living crisis.
It comes after the British Dental Association called for the action and warned that thousands of practioniners are thinking of going private due to the public sector's lack of funding.
A poll from the group found that 45% of those operating in the public sector have reduced their NHS commitment since March 2020.
With the association warning that the figures show a shift towards private care which could leave millions of patients "with no options".
"The potential cost to them becomes higher but more importantly their health suffers"
Jason Stokes works in Norwich and also for Health Education England.
He told us there's a very real threat that not everyone will be able to afford care, unless changes are made: "When people have got less money because the cost of goods and services has gone up, then proportionally making that decision to spend money on dental services becomes even more challenging.
"Now what we have is a situation where they are looking at putting a cap on prescription charges and we want to see the same logic applied to dental charges.
"You take people who perhaps have had clinical conditions that could be managed and their health could be improved, relatively easily, slipping into a situation where their needs becomes greater, the potential cost to them becomes higher but more importantly their health suffers."
"It wouldn't change the way I work at all, I wouldn't get more or less money coming in"
Mr Stokes went on to tell us that it won't be obvious many are cutting back: "That will be hidden. It will be hidden by the fact that there are massive waiting lists and there are difficulties in people accessing care.
"Unfortunately we could end up with the situation where there are enough patients for the dental teams, but that wouldn't necessarily be a positive outcome because it could just be indicative that the number of people who need to access care are choosing not because of cost".
He also told us that he and his colleagues don't directly benefit from this levy: "If all of a sudden there was a change in the economy of Norwich and almost everyone was on benefits that entitled them to free dental care- it wouldn't change the way I work at all, I wouldn't get more or less money coming in.
"The system as a whole would have less money coming in, but dental practices would receive exactly the same level of funding as they did before."
It's understood the Chancellor is due to announce a new package of measures to help people with the cost of living on Thursday.