Campaigning for change in UK dentistry

Priorities

Learn about our current priorities.

Lobbying

Learn about our lobbying work in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Take action

Learn how to get involved in our campaigns.

Campaigns and advocacy

The future of NHS dentistry: Our comprehensive plan

Dire need for change requires concrete reform. We have set out to government how we think dentistry needs to change to the benefit of dentists and your patients.

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Delivering results for the profession

Our impact in 2024

Over the past year, we’ve been expanding our membership offering, championing political change, and shaping the future of dentistry across the UK. From key victories in NHS reform to supporting our members, discover how we’ve been making an impact—for dentistry and for you.

View the BDA Impact report 2024

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Representing you

Our vision for the CDS

The nation’s ability to deliver dental treatment for some of the most vulnerable groups in our society is at risk. Our vision is a call to action from English community dentists themselves on how to end a crisis that has gone under the radar of decision makers for far too long, asking all parties involved with community dentistry to make sure the service is finally given the priority it deserves.

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Latest news

England: Dentists handed pay cut after record-breaking delay

Ministers have now approved a real pay cut for dentists in England, after record-breaking delays.

NHS dentistry: All we want for Christmas is clarity

Dentists in England are set to break for Christmas with no idea about when contractual uplifts will land, what shape support might take for the hike in overheads brought by the recent Budget, and little sense of where promised reform sits on the new Government’s to do list.

Primary care united on Scotland’s £40 million NI Hike

Voices from across primary care have come together with a simple message for the Scottish Government: failure to protect us from the National Insurance hike will have real consequences for the communities we serve.

Wales: Prospects for a new General Dental Service contract in 2026

While formal contract negotiations with Welsh Government and NHS Wales have concluded, there remains considerable work to bring the new reformed GDS contract to fruition in 2026.

Still awaiting uplift confirmation on NHS GDP uplifts

Governments across the UK are yet to confirm the figure for the uplift to apply to NHS general dental practice fees and contracts.

Keeping dentistry on Westminster’s agenda

We have fought to put dentistry at the very top of the political agenda, and that’s continued into the political parties’ Autumn conference season.

End of industrial action process for hospital trainees

Hospital Dental Trainees in England will soon receive a pay uplift that will amount to an average increase of 22.3% over the course of two years.

Northern Ireland consultants vote to accept pay offer

The BMA Northern Ireland Consultants Committee has formally accepted the Department of Health’s pay offer for consultant doctors and dentists.

Northern Ireland: We seek assurances from the Department of Health on back pay

We are pressing the Department of Health (DoH) to provide assurance to practitioners that the full 6.47% backpay for 2023-24 has now been paid correctly.

England: Progress on pay

Today’s above-inflation 6% pay uplift for high street NHS dentists looks like progress, but after a decade of savage cuts reform must come swiftly to keep the service afloat.

Northern Ireland: Amalgam breakthrough must pave the way for essential dental service reform

On 19 July, the European Commission agreed to the continued use of dental amalgam in Northern Ireland until 31 December 2034, or until a date agreed under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, whichever is earlier.

Scotland: No complacency over future of NHS dentistry

Payment reform represents progress but is not final destination for NHS dentistry in Scotland.