THE cost of having noncomplex dental treatment is to rise as part of an overhaul of NHS dentistry designed to make a “fairer and simpler” system of charges.

Under government proposals outlined yesterday, patients will be offered three bands of charges for dental treatment, with maximum prices set for different levels of treatment.

The cost of having a basic check-up will rise from around £6 to £15, but will include preventive dental work such as scaling and polishing. Fillings and extractions will also rise by about £10 to £41. Band 3 treatments such as intricate work and dentures — which can reach £384 — will not exceed £183.

Currently, patients in England are faced with 400 individual charges and often do not know what the total cost will be before they start treatment.

Rosie Winterton, the Health Minister, said that the new system would be less confusing and boost oral health.

Ms Winterton denied that the majority of people who had basic treatment were facing a rise in charges to subsidise more serious cases. She added that under new clinical guidelines, which recommend that patients with good teeth need see a dentist only every 18 months, people would not end up having to pay more.

“Many people complain that they don’t understand their bills, and are confused over what is NHS and what is private,” she said. “The new dental charging system will enable dentists to give a simple answer to patients’ questions, ‘What is my NHS treatment going to cost?’ and ‘What treatment will I get for the money?’ ” “The new system is fairer for patients. Those with low treatment needs will attend less often, and patients with high treatment needs should find their NHS dental treatment cheaper.”

While the first band will cover a general check-up, preventive work and oral health advice and Band 2 will cater for simple treatments, the top band will deal with more complex treatments such as crowns or dentures. The maximum cost of NHS dental treatment proposed in the consultation is less than half what can be charged currently — up to £384. A basic check-up at the moment costs around £6, but this will be replaced with the more comprehensive oral health assessment costing £15 — which could include X-rays, scale and polish and oral health advice.

New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence suggest that for most people a six-monthly check-up is unnecessary. This means that some patients may need to see a dentist as little as every 18 months, depending on clinical need, so will pay less overall.

Ms Winterton also said that the new dental contract, which comes into effect next April, would encourage the promotion of oral health and take dentists off the “drill and fill” treadmill.

They will be paid for the overall service they provide to a patient, rather than for each of the treatments they carry out.The consultation announced yesterday follows a review of the dental charging system led by Harry Cayton, the Government’s National Director for Patients and the Public.

He said that he believed the new system of charges would be “simple, transparent, efficient, affordable and fair”.

“By reducing dental charges from more than 400 separate charges to three simple paybands, the majority of people will pay the same or less than they currently do for treatment, and the price of the most expensive treatment will be halved,” Mr Cayton said.

The consultation on the draft regulations runs for 12 weeks.

Andrew Murrison, the Conservative Shadow Health Minister, said that the delay over the release of the consultation paper indicated that ministers knew that the reforms would be unpopular.

“In 1999 Mr Blair promised that everyone should have the chance to see their NHS dentist within two years, but I suspect this report will heap yet more bad news on hard-pressed patients.”

PAY SCALE

BAND 1
Cost: up to £15
Cover: a general check-up, preventative dental work such as scaling and polishing, and oral health advice

BAND 2
Cost: up to £41
Cover: simple treatment such as fillings and extractions

BAND 3
Cost: up to £183
Cover: more complex course of treatment such as crowns or dentures

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