And now for the OFT...

Another month passes us by in UK dental practice and for what feels like the umpteenth time we are under the spotlight and scrutiny of another organisation/regulatory body. This time it is the Office of Fair Trading. For those of you with a sense of déjà vu, you would be correct. The OFT previously investigated UK dentistry in 2003, as a result of a super-complaint by the Consumers' Association.

Some of their recommendations then included the following: ensuring the clarity of private dental pricing, the introduction of practice complaints procedures, and facilitating direct access to dental hygienists, therapists and technicians for patients.

Fast forward to 2011 and the OFT is again interested in dentistry. This time their concerns include: the amount of choice patients have in selecting dental practices, the types of treatments on offer and an investigation into why private dentistry in the UK is among the highest levels in Europe.

They state that: 'Given the current strains on people's finances, we think it is a good time to examine whether competition is working effectively to drive up the quality of private and NHS dental services and deliver better value for money for consumers.'