Dental drill and fill pay scheme to change

Why have it?

As of 1 April 2006 the Department of Health is taking NHS dentists off what has become known as the ‘drill and fill’ pay scheme, and putting them onto a prearranged pay plan. This means dentists will no longer get separate fees for each treatment they carry out, instead they’ll receive a guaranteed NHS monthly income for a set number of treatments to carry out each year. How this will effect patients will be that some will pay more for more basic treatments, and some less for the more complex procedures. Taking out dental insurance could help reduce the costs of unexpected or routine treatments, saving you a pain in the mouth as well as in the wallet.

The new pay scheme will divide dental care into three categories. Treatments in band one will be the cheapest, at £15.50, and will include the basics such as an examination and scale and polish, band two at £42.40 will cover slightly more complex treatments like fillings, root canal work and extractions and the third band at £189, will cover crowns, dentures and bridges. 

In guaranteeing a monthly salary to dentists, the government hopes to encourage more dentists to stay in the NHS. But according to the British Dental Association, research carried out on high street dentists has shown that as many as 60 per cent would lower their commitment to working for the NHS, or leave it altogether, if private contracts came in.

Inevitably the simplified pay scheme will have advantages and disadvantages. Some patients will find themselves paying more than they would have under the ‘drill and fill’ scheme, and others, less. At present, a basic procedure such as a scale and polish costs £6, under the new scheme that price will almost triple. But on the flipside, those paying for the most expensive treatments, capped at £384, will find their price significantly drop.