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

700,000 urgent appointments coming. Now restore care to millions

With commissioning finally set to begin on the Labour Government’s pledge of 700,000 new NHS urgent dental care appointments, we’ve stressed progress is now urgently required on promises to reform the broken contract fuelling the access crisis millions still face.

Wales: Calling out the spin

For too long the Welsh Government have offered spin, half-truths or doublespeak on dentistry. So, we are calling it out.

England: DFT service costs uplifted for first time in a decade

Service costs payments to practices providing Dental Foundation Training (DFT) have been uplifted for the first time in a decade, as a result of our determined campaigning.

Government challenged to deliver on supervised toothbrushing

The Government has made the right call on supervised toothbrushing, but it needs to put its money where its mouth is.

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.