Hygiene is an essential part of preventative care, and the new plan enables practices to assist patients in regular hygiene treatment, care and advice by providing a payment plan to spread the cost of hygiene appointments.
The government's ‘Dental Recovery Plan’ aimed to make NHS contracts viable for dentists, but Denplan said it overlooked critical resources needed for preventative treatments. To bridge these gaps, Denplan seeks to prioritise affordable preventative treatments to tackle issues early on.
The Denplan Hygiene Plan is a payment plan designed to promote the prevention of oral health intervention for patients in future, by providing an affordable way of accessing regular hygiene treatment, care and advice. Practices can set up to five payment options for patients.
Nearly three in ten (28 per cent) Britons have had to take time off work because of tooth pain according to research from Denplan 2023 - an equivalent of 11.7m people of working age.
The NHS advises that leaving dental problems untreated could make them more difficult to manage in the future, so it's best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them altogether.
The ‘Long Term Workforce Plan’ set aims to deliver 15 per cent of dental activity through dental hygienists and therapists. It also considered exemptions to allow dental hygienists to supply prescription-only medicines, such as high-fluoride treatments for children at risk of decay.
Emma Smith, a hygienist from Paul Smith Dental Care, said, "Every day, I hear of the barriers to accessing oral health care. My role as a hygienist is primarily involved in the treatment and prevention of gum disease, but it also encompasses the prevention of tooth decay and improving overall oral health.
“Access to regular high-quality care benefits patients, reducing fear, embarrassment, pain and discomfort surrounding their oral health, making Denplan Hygiene Plan a great help to many of my patients."
Catherine Rutland, dentist and clinical director at Denplan, said, “We know that many of our members face barriers to offering the preventative treatment they would advise on the NHS. The new hygiene plan has a low service fee and acts as a stepping-stone for dentists to explore the benefits of a mixed-model practice, all while ensuring patients get the preventative treatment they need.”