DENTISTS have accused the government of double standards over NHS contracts, warning that pledged reform of dental terms is set to take place without new investment.

The government has pledged a £485 million uplift for GPs to underpin their new deal, equal to a real terms increase for the second year running.

But NHS dentistry has operated on a flat budget for a generation, with government contributions in 2023-24 lower than in 2010-11.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said the cuts, unique in scale for any NHS service, have left typical practices delivering some treatments at a loss, with many struggling to fill vacancies.

The government has not shown any willingness to bridge that funding gap, it said.

While the government has pledged contractual reform for dentistry in this parliament, the BDA warned that chronic underfunding and a focus on urgent care risks transforming a comprehensive system into an “emergency service.”

Unmet need for NHS dentistry stands at nearly 14 million, equal to over one in four of England’s adult population.

BDA general dental practice committee chairman Shiv Pabary said: “The government says it’s fixing the NHS’s front door, but a generation of savage cuts has left one part of it hanging off its hinges.

“Applying double standards to dentistry means promised reforms may well fail.

“Without needed investment, we will continue to see practices struggling to remain viable, and millions unable to access the care they need.”

Campaign group Toothless in England’s Mark Jones highlighted that desperate people were being “driven to DIY horror,” because the system had failed them, saying: “Promised reforms without Treasury cash are worthless.

“The government must act now: fund it properly, end the postcode lottery, stop forcing families into despair.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

“This government inherited an NHS dental system in crisis after years of neglect, but we are turning it around by fundamentally transforming how NHS dentistry is delivered.

“We are rolling out extra urgent dental appointments and reforming the dental contract to prioritise patients with the greatest need.

“We want to ensure that every penny of the £3.7 billion we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry for those who need it most.”