Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Reeves calls on regulator to investigate steep private dental charges
The chancellor has asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to look into the high costs of dental treatment amid concerns over rising prices which essentially locks people out of the system
Rachel Reeves has asked the UK competition watchdog to investigate the cost of private dental treatment over concerns about surging prices, where some treatments like a simple tooth extraction have risen by as much as 32%.
The chancellor now wants the CMA to launch a market study following concerns that some patients could be paying over the odds on hidden costs, overtreatment and a lack of information on price and quality of treatment that are not always transparent.
Other reports have emerged that private practices are taking on children under NHS care, but only if parents sign on as private clients.
Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today
Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from.
Sign up for MoneyWeek’s free twice-daily newsletter.
Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
The cost of private dental treatment surged between 2022 and 2024, according to MyTribe Insurance, which provides information about private healthcare and insurance.
Simple tooth extractions saw the steepest price hike of all common treatments - jumping from £105 to £139 (32%).
White filling implants rose from £105 to £129 (23%) while root canal treatment went up from £350 to £400 (14%).
Private patients in the South West or East of England can expect to pay the highest prices, while those in Scotland and Northern Ireland typically pay up to 30% less on average.
Dental groups have said practices are simply covering costs amid rising inflation and to cover an increase in employer costs.
Employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) rose from 13.8% to 15% in April 2025, and the rate at which they are paid was lowered from £9,100 to £5,000, adding to employee costs for businesses.
Neil Carmichael, executive chair of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), said: “Without a significant increase in new dentists, consequential inflationary pressures are bound to be felt across the sector.
“Many ADG members have already found recent increases in national insurance and costs for essential supplies to be difficult to absorb.”
Meanwhile, Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association (BDA), said private dentists were just “covering their costs” claiming profits from private care are “what keeps NHS dentistry afloat”.
NHS dentistry is also in crisis as patients struggle to book appointments.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows 82% of new adult patients were unable to access NHS dental care in May 2025.
Some areas of England struggling from a chronic lack of NHS dental care have been described as “dental deserts”.
Dentists have raised concerns over the terms of the NHS contract, which they say has left them unable to cover their costs, while funding for NHS dental care has been falling since 2006.
Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
