LONDON, UK: The British Dental Association has rejected the results of a new Which? study that indicate dentists are to blame for confusion about dental pricing. In a press release on Monday, the consumer body said it had conducted mystery shopping visits to 25 dental practices in England offering both NHS and private treatment. According to the investigation, almost a quarter of the practitioners reviewed failed to explain prices and treatment options properly to patients.
NHS price lists were not prominently displayed in half of the practices visited by Which? researchers, the group said.
The full report is to appear in the February issue of the magazine. It is part of the association’s “Clean up Dental Costs” campaign, which aims to enhance transparency about dental treatment costs.
In response, British Dental Association President Mick Armstrong defended the profession, saying that dentists have to explain the technical details of the treatment options, as well as the “muddled set of arrangements” concerning the payment system, including NHS versus private treatment, to patients, and are given little time to do so.
“Unfortunately the rules determined by government have proved a recipe for confusion. Neither the NHS contract nor what the NHS will pay for is clear enough,” he commented.
Instead of blaming dentists, Armstrong said regulators should devise a better system that enhances transparency concerning what patients have to pay for dental treatment.
“We take our responsibilities seriously, but government must do more to remove the potential for conflict or confusion.”
According to Armstrong, the majority of dental practices have met the Care Quality Commission’s overall inspection standard, which includes pricing information.
“Evidence continues to show that the public consistently value their visits to the dentist.”
LONDON, UK/ROME, Italy: That the consumption of sweet, carbonated and alcoholic drinks—which are all main characteristics of Prosecco—lead to tooth ...
PLYMOUTH, UK: Though dentistry can be a highly stressful field to work in at times, little research has been done into how time pressure can affect a ...
LONDON, UK: Last week, the Mental Health Foundation celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week, encouraging UK residents to take stock of their psychological ...
Canny Dentists, the members-only social network designed to support the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of anyone working in UK dental practice,...
LONDON, UK: Some dentists, especially newly qualified ones or those with a low income, may struggle to pay the annual retention fee of the General Dental ...
LONDON, UK: Over the last decade, internationally qualified dentists (IQDs) have made up an increasingly large proportion of the UK’s dental workforce ...
LONDON, UK: Dentists with overseas qualifications looking to practise in the UK are currently subject to an extensive registration process. As part of a ...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark: “For a lab, every second counts,” according to Lee Culp, certified dental technician and CEO of Sculpture Studios, a dental ...
It is easy to generalise, but I think that most people would agree that we live in changing –and challenging – times. While technology is moving...
RUGBY – Tooth whitening is becoming increasingly popular. Last week, UK health authorities voiced concerns about illegal and potentially harmful ...
Live webinar
Fri. 19 July 2024
1:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Tue. 6 August 2024
11:00 pm UTC (London)
Live webinar
Wed. 14 August 2024
12:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Wed. 14 August 2024
5:30 pm UTC (London)
Live webinar
Wed. 21 August 2024
2:00 pm UTC (London)
Dr. Jim Lai DMD, MSc(Perio), EdD, FRCD(C)
Live webinar
Thu. 29 August 2024
1:00 am UTC (London)
Live webinar
Mon. 2 September 2024
10:00 am UTC (London)
To post a reply please login or register