NHS dentists accused of making money with 'unnecessary' check-ups » Communities » 24dash.com

Dentists are "playing" the system for extra cash by calling people back for unnecessary appointments, the Government believes.

An analysis of NHS paperwork suggests they are recalling patients for check-ups that may not be needed and splitting up courses of treatment that could be given in one go.

A new dental contract introduced in 2006 means treatment costs are now divided into four bands.

The Government believes dentists could be spreading treatments across different appointments in order to make more money.

This also means there are fewer appointments available to those patients struggling to access a dentist in England.

Chief dental officer Barry Cockroft is talking to primary care trusts to work out how to stamp out the practice.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) says healthy patients do not need check-ups more than once every two years.

He said: "Nice guidance says that adults with healthy teeth do not need to go to their dentist as frequently as six months if there's no clinical need.

"Many patients have been seeing their dentist at six month intervals for years as a matter of routine, but there is no evidence to support this as clinically necessary.

"The recommended Nice check-up period is every two years.

"It is a contractual requirement for dentists to apply the Nice guidance.

"However it is clear from new data available to PCTs that many patients are being seen every six months or so.

"This effectively prevents new patients from getting access to NHS dentistry.

"PCTs now have contract-based data to enable them to address this."

Officials compared NHS returns by dentists, which give each individual patient a code.

The data suggests that as many as 800,000 appointments - one in 10 of the existing workload of appointments - could be freed up if the practice was stopped.

Under the new contract, dentists have seen their average earnings rise, from £87,000 before the contract to more than £96,000 in the first year it came into force.

For those dentists who own their practice, earnings have jumped to £172,494 each.

Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association (BDA), said: "The British Dental Association does not have the necessary data to comment on these suggestions.

"The interval between patients being recalled by their NHS dentist is, according to Nice guidelines published in 2005, a matter for the practitioner's clinical judgment in consultation with the patient.

"This judgment is made taking into account factors including the oral health of the patient and their exposure to risk factors.

"The BDA supports this guideline, as we do not believe a one-size-fits-all approach is clinically appropriate.

"Dentists develop treatment plans in consultation with the patient, ensuring that they are clinically appropriate and fit with the individual's wishes.

"The BDA provides extensive advice to dentists about the new dental contract to help them provide the best possible care for their patients."