THE Scottish Government announced last week that NHS dental teams will receive increased fees under a new payment structure from November to help them to provide a comprehensive range of NHS care and treatment.

For dentists, the new fee structure will streamline payments, cut bureaucracy and give them greater authority over the treatments offered.

In line with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), dentists will now also be able to advise patients on how often they need check-ups based on their oral health, rather than everyone being seen every six months.

Examinations will continue to be free for all patients, with pregnant and new mothers, those claiming certain benefits, and under-26s remaining exempt from treatment charges – around a quarter of all adult NHS dental patients.

This payment reform aims to incentivise dentists to remain in the NHS, provide long term sustainability to the sector, and improve access for patients. Replacing the existing fees with a new improved set will allow dentists to provide a full range of NHS care and treatment, while those unable to pay will continue to get help.

A new awareness campaign called Brush Up will also be launched to help people know where to get information and help to meet the costs, clarifying NHS dental patient rights and what treatments are included under the NHS under the new reforms.

These reforms demonstrate that the SNP in government is hard at work to support NHS dentistry following the impact of the pandemic, and that reforms are being introduced to make improvements to the sector.