UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has formally requested that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigate private dental pricing, amid growing concerns about sharp and uneven increases in treatment charges across the country.
In a letter to the regulator, Reeves called for a full market study into “private dentistry costs and practices,” warning that patients may now be paying significantly more than necessary for basic procedures.
Steep Price Increases Across the Sector
New data suggests that private dental prices have surged well above inflation in recent years.
Research by myTribe Insurance, published in December 2024 and based on 450 dental practices, found:
- White fillings: up 23% to an average cost of £129
- Tooth extractions: up 32% to £139
- Overall private treatment costs: up as much as 32% between 2022 and 2024
The findings point to an accelerated rise in treatment costs at a time when household budgets remain under severe pressure.
Reeves said hidden fees, overtreatment, and lack of pricing transparency have left many families struggling.
“This is a sector where urgent action is needed,” she noted.
CMA Responds: Market Study Likely
A spokesperson for the CMA welcomed the request.
“This is an important market that must work well for consumers,” they said, adding that the regulator had already been considering work in this area and would present a proposal to its board.
This engagement comes just months after the government removed the CMA’s former chair, Marcus Bokkerink, over concerns that the agency was not sufficiently focused on economic growth.
Why Are Prices Rising? Industry Points to Costs and Shortages
Industry groups argue that several pressures are driving prices upward:
1. Rising Operating Costs
Dental practices say the government’s increase in employer national insurance contributions, introduced in the last Budget, has forced up business costs, which are partly passed on to patients.
2. Dentist Shortages
The UK faces a shortage of qualified dentists, and trade bodies say that strong demand combined with limited staffing has enabled practices to raise prices.
Neil Carmichael, executive chair of the Association of Dental Groups, warned that without a significant boost in new dentists, “inflationary pressures are bound to be felt across the sector.”
3. Problems with the NHS Dental Contract
Dentists have long criticised the NHS contract system, which pays practices set fees for a fixed number of “units of dental activity” each year.
The system has been blamed for:
- Long NHS waiting times
- Uneven remuneration for procedures (simple and complex treatments sometimes paid the same)
- Practices shifting costs by increasing private fees to compensate for NHS losses
Trade groups say the contract’s shortcomings have contributed directly to the wider rise in private treatment charges.
A Sector Under Scrutiny
The government now faces a balancing act: encouraging economic growth while responding to public dissatisfaction over rising living costs, particularly for essential services such as dental care.
The CMA’s upcoming proposal will determine the scale and scope of its investigation — one that could lead to reforms in transparency, pricing practices, and regulatory oversight across the UK’s £3bn private dental industry.
