Improving NHS contract key for industry's future- Norfolk dentist
It follows work warning that complicated dental work could become more common- if more people keep their own teeth into old age
A local dentist tells us improving the NHS contract is key to future-proofing the industry.
It's follows claims that more elderly people retaining their original teeth in the future could lead to more complex dental work, in the future.
"That doesn't mean an increase in dentists on the NHS"
Dr Andy Bell works in Gorleston and leads Norfolk's Local Dental Committee:
"Recruitment and retention is still a big problem and has been one since the Covid pandemic.
"While there has recently been an increase in dentists when it comes to the General Dental Council, unfortunately that doesn't mean an increase in dentists on the NHS.
He told us what needs to change and how on the NHS contract:
"So that the number of patients you have on your books you'll get paid a certain amount per month for those patients.
"With this then being combined with an activity element, so if a patient needs something like a filling- there's a payment for that as well".
The research in more detail:
In the 1970s more than a quarter (28%) of people over the age of 75 had no natural teeth - also known as edentulism - but this has now fallen to 11%.
"In the 1970s, it wasn't uncommon for adults to lose all their teeth by the time they reached old age. Today we are looking at the majority of 65 plus-year-olds still having some or all their natural teeth which often require complex restorative work," according to a new report on the future of dentistry by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG), which represents around 10,000 dentists.
The report highlights how the number of elderly people needing a full set of dentures has "decreased massively" because of increased retention of natural teeth.
Full dentures can be easier to look after for elderly people as they can be removed which allows for thorough cleaning, and there is also no potential for cavities.
"While full denture use has decreased, many elderly patients now have partial dentures, implants or complex restorations," the report adds.
Meanwhile, the ADG warned dentists could also be facing a "massive increase" in demand from "tomorrow's elderly" - people currently in their 30s, 40s and 50s - who are getting cosmetic dental surgery and so-called "Turkey teeth".
It highlighted how implants need maintenance and can be affected by medications including blood thinners which are commonly taken among elderly patients.
The ADG said there could be a "dentistry silver tsunami" with cases becoming more complex as people age.
It comes as the new report by the ADG warns that dentistry in the UK faces a number of "tectonic plate shifts", including demographic shifts in the population which will see more elderly people and a reduction in the young workforce to care for them.
The report also highlights a "massive gap" in the dental workforce and calls for action to reverse the trend to ensure patient access to care.
ADG executive chairman Neil Carmichael said: "Today, oral healthcare provision is already stretched with gaps in the workforce, tomorrow this will become even more acute.
"The ADG's future of dentistry report predicts a massive increase in the demand for dental treatments by those who are in their 30s and 40s now who are currently having cosmetic dentistry and implants.
"Some are going abroad for these cosmetic dental treatments - for so-called 'Turkey teeth' - where the quality of the work cannot always be guaranteed.
"When they become elderly, their oral health needs will become even greater since cosmetic dentistry treatments need care by the individual and from the dental team.
"We will be facing a dentistry silver tsunami if we are not careful, so it is important now for all healthcare professionals - from dentistry, to health and social care - to work together to deliver the solutions."
Glen Taylor, chief dental officer for Community Dental Services (CDS-CIC) said: "As more older adults retain their natural teeth, maintaining good oral hygiene becomes more challenging, as the complexity of their dental need increases.
"Looking ahead, the next generation of older adults - those currently in their 30s to 60s - will present even greater challenges.
"Many will have implants and cosmetic dentistry that require lifelong maintenance and are vulnerable to the effects of medications such as bisphosphonates and blood thinners, or the impact of medical interventions and dementia-related illnesses.
"Cosmetic treatments, while beneficial, will not last a lifetime without sustained high standards of oral hygiene, and ongoing repairs will be inevitable.
"To meet this rising complexity, the dental workforce must be supported and strengthened."