As dentists threaten mass walkouts over new contracts being imposed on them by the government, insurers rub their hands in glee. The walkout could see thousands more people being denied the services of an NHS dentist.

The British Dental Association is opposed to the new draft contract as it imposes delays in payments and creates more administration and red tape for dentist’s surgeries.

This latest row comes just three years after the last big contract dispute with dentists which saw hundreds of dentists leave the NHS. This latest row may prove to be the last straw for many more, and their clients could be left without NHS dental care.

For those that know and can afford it, the solution is to elect for private dental care funded by insurance. Whilst dentists may grumble about payments from the NHS, they appear to have few complaints about the money they receive from insurance companies!

And dentists happily line up to serve private patients.