The restructure may turn out to be a positive step towards much-needed reforms, but it adds to the uncertainty surrounding dental services, GDS contract reform and funding - all of which have damaged NHS dental practice in recent years.

Increasing concerns

Dental professionals in both NHS and private practice continue to be caught between a failing service and the resulting public discontent. In March, the Dental Complaints Service (DCS), which provides a resolution service for complaints about private practice, reported a dramatic 137% increase in new cases between 2023 and 2024 (from 466 to 1,102).

The DCS also reported a 384% year-on-year increase in complaints about access to dental care (from 26 to 126), and its executive director (Regulation), Theresa Thorp, noted that the increase in people turning to private dentistry was, "the likely cause of the increase in DCS activity."

Meanwhile, written complaints about NHS dental services have increased steadily from 11,867 in 2016/17 to 15,590 in 2023/24, according to the latest statistics from NHS England. Complaints about appointment availability over that time have risen from 987 to 2,411, and are now second only to complaints about clinical treatment.

Being the subject of a complaint can be stressful and time consuming. This is especially true when the problem is largely outside your control, but as your dental defence organisation we are always on hand to help you resolve them.

Our expert advisers - all dental professionals themselves - can help you explore all the options available to you. And whatever you decide, we'll back you all the way.

More broadly, the sharp rise in patient complaints is both a symptom of a creaking system and adds to the burden on dental professionals. A complaint can often feel like the last straw when you're already juggling the increasing financial and admin demands of dental practice while seeing a growing number of patients with complex oral health needs, including the adverse consequences of dental tourism (which you can read more about in this issue).

How we're standing up for members

It's understandable for dental professionals to feel they need to practise more defensively or seek work in less pressurised and target-driven environments, although of course this is in no-one's interests.

Now more than ever, dental practitioners need allies to support and speak up for them, and I'm proud that the DDU actively champions the profession in the media and in our engagement with policy makers.

For example, in February, we submitted evidence to the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into 'Fixing NHS Dentistry', calling for the government to pass the legislation required for a fairer, more timely and more proportionate model of regulation and to introduce the promised system of fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence cases.

Unfortunately, progress on both these areas has stalled, even though the groundwork has been done, and despite them not being costly to implement.

And alongside our parent organisation, the MDU, we recently organised an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Healthcare Workers comprising over 30 MPs and peers from across nine political parties. The Group will highlight key areas of concern for dental professionals and promote ongoing dialogue between the healthcare sector and parliamentarians.

Need help? We're here

We're also there for members at a personal level. You can call our helpline as often as you need for 1-2-1 advice from our experts about a complaint or dento-legal dilemma without any impact on your subscription. Members tell us that talking to one of our team is hugely reassuring and helps them to resolve problems more quickly.

And if you are subject to a regulatory investigation or claim, you can expect your assigned dento-legal adviser to offer you a virtual meeting at an early stage to introduce themselves and help you understand what to expect.

They, along with your instructed lawyer will be by your side throughout the process, providing support and working on your behalf for the best outcome. We also provide a range of health and wellbeing resources for members, including access to a confidential counselling helpline run by our partners at Peninsula, an e-learning course and details of external sources of support.

In common with everyone who cares about the future of UK dentistry, we hope the government will succeed in delivering much-needed change across the board. But we won't hesitate to speak out for our members, and we'll always be there to support you in challenging times.