Eastside Dental is one of the two ‘prototype’ practices, where dentists are rewarded for prevention, rather than for the number of fillings they carry out. It uses dental nurses, hygienists and educators alongside dentists to try and encourage patients to take greater responsibility for their oral health, and focuses on preventing dental disease rather than treating it.
NHS dentistry across Wales is based on meeting government targets for procedures like fillings and crowns. The current system, designed to improve access and focus on prevention, failed on its owns terms following its introduction in 2006, receiving criticism from dentists, public health experts, main political parties, and the Chief Dental Officer for Wales.
A new type of contract has been in development for five years, with eight practices testing out its initial version between 2011 and 2015 and two of them moving on to trial the more advanced ‘prototype’ in April this year.
BDA Wales invited the Conservative health spokesperson Angela Burns AM to see the successful prototypes. She has joined BDA Wales in calling for these promising pilots to be rapidly expanded in communities across Wales, ahead of a potential national roll out.
Katrina Clarke, chair of BDA Wales General Dental Practice Committee, said, “We need NHS dentistry that puts patients and prevention first. The Welsh Government is leading the way on this, but after years in the pipeline, we need to see this crucial reform gain momentum.
"Despite the welcome recent improvements in oral health in Wales, our outcomes continue to lag behind England. Welsh patients cannot afford another five years of delays – NHS dentistry in Wales need to change gear now.”
Angela Burns AM, Conservative health spokesperson in the Welsh Assembly, said, “This practice is a perfect example of what can be done with vision and planning from a forward thinking team. When I first walked in I found it hard to believe that we were visiting a NHS surgery in Swansea and not a private practice on Harley Street. The atmosphere from both staff and patients was superb and I must pay tribute to all the staff involved that make this practice such as success.
"The team, who are superbly led by Paul Ridgewell,can only maintain this practice however if they get the support from the Welsh Government. I am delighted to see that this prototype, which rewards dentists for prevention and not on the amount of work that they carry out, has been such a success here.
“I urge the minister to take a hard look at the success of this practice and roll out further trials to enable the whole ethos of NHS dentistry in Wales to change as soon as possible, and to ensure that welsh patients get the treatment that they deserve.”