New changes will enable patients to access urgent care easier
- Overhaul of NHS dentistry will prioritise patients with most urgent dental needs and those requiring complex treatments
- New incentives for the NHS dental contract to offer longer term treatments for major issues such as gum disease and tooth decay through the NHS
- Deep-rooted reforms are fundamental to government's wider rescue plan for dentistry including rolling out urgent and emergency care appointments, supervised toothbrushing for 3-5 year olds, and water fluoridation schemes to reduce decay
Patients across England will be able to get urgent dentist appointments more easily thanks to a major overhaul of NHS dentistry.
The government will proceed with a raft of reforms - the most significant modernisation of the NHS dental contract in years - following a consultation with the sector and the public, published today (16 December 2025).
By prioritising patients with the greatest needs, the changes - which will be in place from April 2026 - will make sure the NHS dentistry budget - estimated at around £4 billion - delivers value for money for the taxpayer by diverting funds into better and more effective treatments for those who need it most.
For example, a patient with tooth decay in several teeth or severe gum disease would require complex treatment. Currently, they would need to be treated over multiple appointments. For a patient this is hard to co-ordinate and book with a dentist, while for a dentist, this would be costly and time consuming.
With the changes, this patient could secure a single comprehensive package of treatment with a dentist over a longer period, tailored to their needs and includes oral health advice. This could save a patient up to £225 in fees. For the dentist, they will be incentivised to deliver this under our new standardised payment package.
This will support thousands of patients to receive better care on the NHS.
Patients also struggle to find dental practices that treat people with urgent needs and have to choose to live with the pain or travel out of their local area to find somewhere that can treat them.
These reforms will make urgent dental care a core part of what NHS dental practices must provide through the new contract, making it easier for people to access an urgent appointment at their local NHS dental practice, saving them from travelling out of their area.
Urgent care may be for issues including severe tooth pain, dental infections, trauma to teeth, or other conditions that need rapid treatment - and dentists will be fairly incentivised to treat these on the NHS.
The sweeping reforms work alongside the government's wider rescue plan for dentistry, including the rollout of urgent and emergency care appointments and community water fluoridation schemes proven to reduce decay.
The government has also rolled out a pioneering national supervised toothbrushing programme for 3-5-year-olds, which will support up to 600,000 children this year, with over 4 million toothbrushes and toothpastes delivered already.
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said:
We inherited a broken NHS dental system and have worked at pace to start fixing it - rolling out urgent and emergency appointments and bringing in supervised toothbrushing for young children in the most deprived areas.
Now we are tackling the deep-rooted problems so patients can have faith in NHS dentistry - these changes will make it easier for anyone with urgent dental needs to get NHS treatment, preventing painful conditions from spiralling into avoidable hospital admissions.
This is about putting patients first and supporting those with the greatest need, while backing our NHS dentists, making the contract more attractive, and giving them the resources to deliver more.
This marks the first step towards a new era for NHS dentistry after a decade of decline, one that delivers for patients and our dedicated dental professionals.
In a boost for children's dental health, dental nurses will be encouraged to apply fluoride varnish to children's teeth helping maintain good oral health. Dental staff will receive a fairer payment for applying fissure sealants to protect children's teeth from decay, in a shift towards preventing poor dental health.
To improve retention, NHS dental teams will also receive more support through annual reviews, learning and development, in addition to government funding to support sick leave and guidance on NHS contractual terms and benefits.
Neil Carmichael, Executive Chair, The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) said:
We broadly welcome the dental contract reforms and look forward to receiving more details as soon as possible in the new year so that practices have the time and ability to prepare to implement these changes. The ADG was part of the consultation process and it is good to see that steps are being taken to address the underpayment of more complex care, as well as support urgent care.
A continuing priority for our members, however, is ensuring that the necessary steps are being taken to shore up the NHS England dental workforce, which we know is short by over 2,500 dentists. Embracing the whole dental workforce is crucial, so to see in the plan further encouragement of the team including dental nurses to take on treatments, with fairer recompense, is a positive move.
Dr Oosh Devalia, President, British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) said:
BSPD welcomes today's announcement on NHS Dental Contract reform as a positive step and we look forward to seeing what this means for children and young people. Having a contract with prevention at its heart must be the way forward, and the recommendations we submitted during the consultation period are focused on ensuring that the children most in need are prioritised to receive the dental services they deserve.
A prevention approach will have the biggest impact when it is designed to target the most vulnerable children in our communities. As ever, BSPD looks forward to working with policymakers to establish the details to ensure that the dental contract really delivers for children.
Background
- The public consultation ran for six weeks from 8 July to 19 August 2025 and received 2,289 completed responses, with 60% from individuals sharing personal views, 33% from individuals sharing professional views, and 7% from organisations.
- Over half of respondents to the consultation agreed the proposals would improve the current NHS dental contract and support practices to prioritise care for those who need it most.
- The changes will require legislative amendments, which the government plans to introduce from April 2026. NHS England will work with Integrated Care Boards and clinical experts to produce detailed implementation guidance.
- The key measures being taken forward from the consultation are:
- Embedding urgent treatment in the NHS dental contract so patients have access to urgent dental care when they need it
- New treatment pathways for complex needs such as serious tooth decay and progressive gum disease
- Delivering effective, evidence-based care, making greater use of dental expertise and knowledge
- Enhanced support for dental professionals' learning and development, benefitting patients from an enhanced skill set
- Strengthening the NHS dental workforce by supporting retention
- Around half (49.3%) of all dental patients are entitled to free NHS dental care. These groups include people who are:
- under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education
- pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months
- being treated in an NHS hospital and your treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist (patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges)
- receiving low-income benefits, or you're under 20 and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.
- Patients with a low income who are not eligible for an exemption for NHS dental charges may be entitled to financial support for their dental costs via the NHS Low Income Scheme.
- Patients can either access urgent care by contacting a dentist directly or through NHS 111. Some areas also operate a local helpline.
