NHS fines Devon dentist for patients' healthy teeth

A dentist in Devon is being fined £150,000 by the NHS for keeping patients' teeth too healthy, highlighting a flawed payment system. This "claw back" is due to the practice performing fewer procedures than the NHS contract requires. The NHS contract penalizes dentists for preventative care, incentivizing more complex and costly treatments. This system is driving dentists away from the NHS, contributing to a dental crisis in areas like Devon, where access to NHS dentists is severely limited. The article details the struggles of patients and dentists within the current system, emphasizing the need for contract reform and increased funding. The government's recent health plan promises transformation, but the British Dental Association stresses the urgency of immediate action.