Scottish dentists moving towards private practice as NHS dentistry dwindles, new survey shows

Top dentists have warned the future of their NHS services is in doubt as a new survey found four out of five dentist practices are planning on reducing their NHS workload in the next year.

The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned the future of NHS dentistry in Scotland is in doubt, and “action must be high on the agenda for the next first minister”, as a survey carried out by the organisation found more than half of Scottish dentists have already reduced the amount of NHS work they undertake.

The survey revealed 59 per cent have reduced their NHS work, but 83 per cent say they are planning to reduce NHS work within the next year. Meanwhile, just one in five (21 per cent) of dentists say their practice has returned to pre-pandemic capacity, with a majority (61 per cent) citing recruitment problems as an issue.