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'95% of dentists' say NHS system hinders patient care

The overwhelming majority of dentists feel patients are prevented from getting the best care by the way dentistry is run in the UK. 95% of those quizzed in an exclusive Daybreak poll blamed the NHS system.

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NHS target system for dentists blamed for poor care

Targets dentists have to reach in order to gain funding have been blamed for poor patient care by healthcare professionals, a survey has revealed.

Dentists have given patients drastic but cheaper treatment to meet targets, the poll found. Credit: PA

At least 92% of the 343 dentists who took part in an exclusive Daybreak survey admitted removing a tooth when other treatments could have saved it.

Currently, a dentists' funding is related to the units of dental activity (UDA) they produce.

Dentists get the same UDAs for complex treatments, like root canal treatments, as for providing extraction, so there is little incentive to carry out more complex and time-consuming treatment, they argue.

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