CALL US 
By leading dental negligence solicitor in London and Sussex, Sarah Mynard
It seems rather fitting to quote the legendary Jane Austen, on her 250th Birthday, “time will explain” (Persuasion, 1818) on the day the Government announces long overdue plans to begin a much needed reform of NHS Dentistry .
We are ending 2025 with almost half of all adults and 25% of children in the UK suffering visible signs of tooth decay.
From April 2026 dentists will be incentivised to:
- treat emergency cases as a priority;
- patients will be given single treatment programmes to reduce their dental bills;
- children will receive better preventative care.
However, with no new money in the system one wonders in reality what this means for the nation’s teeth?
And I observe and urge the need for better education about oral hygiene combined with dietary advice and more self-discipline from adults, parents and children alike to take charge of their own oral health with better diets, less sugar, less snacking, more time brushing and more commitment to the source of the problem rather than turning to the dentist once the horse has bolted.
Maybe if we all take collective responsibility for ourselves and our teeth we can limit the strain on the system enabling NHS dentistry to rise from its knees and provide affordable timely care for all.
