Under the new plans, dental graduates will have to provide NHS dentistry for three years – dental students, graduates and dentists share their thoughts on the proposal.
This week, the government released its NHS 10-Year Health Plan, detailing major reforms of the health system including dentistry. Among these proposals is that newly-qualified dentists will be required to practise in the NHS for a minimum period. Though not officially confirmed, the period is currently intended to be at least three years.
The report states that the change is because training an individual dentist costs the taxpayer up to £200,000.
We hear from dental students, graduates, dentists and other voices in the profession on what this could mean for dentistry – and if it feels fair.
Maya Abdulrazak, recent dental graduate
Throughout dental school, we provide supervised NHS care, and after graduation, most dentists complete a year of NHS work through dental foundation training. Extending this obligation further may feel unfair to those hoping to specialise or pursue different career paths. More importantly, if the underlying problems within NHS dentistry remain unaddressed, forcing graduates to stay may only worsen morale. Once the compulsory period ends, many could be even more deterred from ever returning to the NHS.
A more effective and sustainable approach would be to focus on improving working conditions, listen to the concerns of dental professionals, and create an environment people want to remain in, rather than one they are obliged to endure.
Ben Atkins, oral health ambassador for the Oral Health Foundation
If the government introduced full funding in exchange for a tie-in, for example, I’d actually see that as fair. That kind of lock-in is pretty normal in other sectors, such as medicine, where there’s an obligation to give something back after training.
One thing I’m unclear about is whether this proposed three-year tie-in includes the first year of foundation training or whether it’s three years after that. If it’s FD plus two years, it might not be a bad deal – I’d have jumped at that as a new graduate. It gives some structure and support at a time when it’s easy to feel lost. It’s clear that the fear among new grads is real.
But we need clarity. For example, where does that three-year clock start? And what happens to those already in the system? You can’t just move the goalposts mid-way. If this change is coming, it has to apply from a specific start date. And that also raises another question: will they reimburse students who are already partway through if they get tied in later? If the NHS offered a clear, supported pathway with defined outcomes, including experience in practices, hospitals, and maybe even community dentistry, I think many new grads would go for it. The devil will be in the detail.
Balneeta Bhamra, dentist
Ensuring that graduates contribute to the NHS early in their careers could help address the ongoing shortage of NHS dentists and improve general access to dental care in communities where it is most needed. It may also help stabilise the workforce and support more consistent service provision across the country.
However, mandatory service can be seen as restrictive, especially for those who may wish to explore different career paths or continue education to increase scope of practice after qualifying. For some, this requirement may feel like a lack of choice or flexibility, which could affect morale or even deter prospective students from entering the profession.
To be effective and fair, this policy should be accompanied by wider reforms that improve working conditions, offer clear career progression, and make NHS dentistry a more attractive long-term option. A balanced approach is key – one that recognises the value of public care and access, all whilst supporting the professional aspirations of new graduates.
Anonymous, dental foundation trainee based in Salford, Manchester
Many of us come to this conclusion quietly, when we realise burnout is an expected outcome of the flawed NHS contract rather than a personal failing. This plan wants to change that.
Prevention and access are rightly prioritised. But young clinicians must be empowered and not penalised for speaking up when care falls short. Otherwise, the culture won’t change. Clinical safety starts with psychological safety. No amount of contract reform will land if the fear of litigation, reputational damage, and internal blame remains the norm.
There’s huge potential in rethinking how the workforce operates. I received an ADHD diagnosis during my foundation year. I’ve seen first-hand how rigid systems struggle to support different working styles, even just to get a performer number. Shared prevention, neighbourhood teams, and broader scopes of practice offer a rare opportunity to build a system that works for different minds, and not just the ‘faster’ or ‘normal’ ones.
Forcing new graduates into NHS practice might keep numbers up. But unless we fix culture, mentorship, and morale, young dentists will be trapped in a system that we didn’t break. Pursuing a career abroad feels less like betrayal and more like survival. Who could blame us for walking away?
I agree our wonderful NHS needs more dentists, but we fundamentally require a system worth staying for. Train us. Support us. Inspire us to lead. Because until then, no contract reform will stop the quiet departure: Underway Already.
Nigel Jones, sales and marketing director at Practice Plan
Questions arise about the potential for NHS dentistry to be increasingly delivered by the least experienced clinicians and the risk of discouraging future applicants to dental schools.
While it’s hard to avoid the feeling this is another exercise in managing the public perception of government’s intent for NHS dentistry, I cling to the hope that detailed work is going on in the background from which will emerge a genuinely sustainable future for NHS dentistry, one that seeks to collaborate rather than collide with private dentistry, to reduce oral health inequality.
Kiran Judge, dental surgeon
Shifting the burden onto early career dentists, many already facing student debt, rising living costs, intense clinical pressure, and mental health challenges, only deepens existing problems. This has a direct impact on personal growth, delaying milestones such as family building, and dampens the entrepreneurial spirit among young clinicians, ultimately affecting innovation in dentistry and the UK economy. This is not reform. It is a redirection of responsibility landing squarely on those just starting their careers.
This policy risks damaging morale, limiting autonomy, and stalling professional growth at a time when support and opportunity are most needed. Instead of attracting new talent, it may push the next generation of dentists away before they have even had a chance to thrive.
Yes, we are increasing service, but we are not improving quality. This approach simply papers over cracks in a fractured and overstretched system.
Restricting career mobility will not solve systemic issues like unrealistic UDA targets, chronic underfunding, outdated infrastructure, or workforce burnout.
A thriving NHS must inspire loyalty, growth, and pride. Let us fix the foundations, not just fill the gaps.
Tohgo Kimura, dental student at Bart’s and The London
These considerations are often rooted in well-documented criticisms of the current NHS dental contract, which many perceive as unsustainable. Issues like lack of resources to short appointment times has led to the perception of being unable to provide comprehensive or adequate treatment, potentially compromising patient care.
This environment contributes to a sense that the system prioritises volume over quality, leading to professional dissatisfaction. The proposal for a compulsory NHS tie-in, currently suggested for a minimum of three years, is presented as a mechanism to recoup the public investment in dental training.
While this requirement introduces a structured initial employment period, there is a significant concern that mandating this route for three years, without addressing the underlying issues that drive dentists away, could deter a greater number of prospective dentists than it attracts. Comparisons have been drawn to how graduated medics must also train for three years to become a GP.
Sustainability unlikely
However, this is a comprehensive, supervised educational program designed to equip doctors with the specific skills and knowledge required for general practice. It is an extension of their medical education, leading to a specialist qualification and entry onto the GP Register. The proposed additional two years (extending to three in total) are presented primarily as a service obligation rather than a continuation of structured, salaried, and universally available postgraduate training in the same vein as GP specialisation.
There is no guarantee these additional years would offer the same level of educational supervision, diverse clinical exposure, or clear career progression as formal GP training. It risks being a period of mandatory service, potentially in less desirable or under-resourced areas, without the explicit educational framework that defines GP training. This could lead to burnout or a desire to leave NHS practice as soon as the obligation is fulfilled ultimately exacerbating the very workforce shortages the proposed plans seek to address.
Graduates may feel undervalued or coerced, leading to lower morale and reduced long-term commitment to NHS dentistry. The focus, therefore, should be on making NHS dentistry inherently more attractive to practitioners, by addressing the reasons for their departure in the first place. While patient access is paramount, forcing dentists into a system where their professional needs and ability to provide optimal care are not adequately supported is unlikely to yield a sustainable long-term solution.
Yewande Oduwole, dentist
It’s an environment that often undermines, rather than supports, clinical excellence. Mandating newly-qualified dentists to remain in the NHS for three years may appear progressive, but in reality, it risks deepening dissatisfaction and burnout. Retention through obligation is not retention at all.
The focus should be on reform, not restriction. Solutions include better integration of dental therapists, streamlining pathways for overseas dentists, and more meaningful investment in dental education such as funding the final three years of training, not just the last.
Jainish Patel, dental student at Bart’s and The London
While I understand the government’s desire to address the NHS dental access crisis, as dental students we’re already under significant financial pressure. With rising tuition fees and increased living costs, most of us will graduate with substantial debt. Having already completed a previous degree, I’ll be finishing with debt accumulated over eight years of university. Hence, the prospect of being tied to NHS rates for three years is worrying, especially for those of us who had planned to work in mixed practices to help manage our finances better.
The NHS dental system is already under immense strain, and being forced into it immediately after graduation, without the flexibility to gain experience in different practice settings, could be detrimental to our clinical development.
While I fully support the goal of improving access to NHS dental care, I think the government should focus on tackling the underlying issues that are driving dentists away from NHS work in the first place. Additionally, dentistry is already a highly competitive field and policies like this risk putting off potential students who might be deterred by the lack of career flexibility right after graduation.
Amirali Ziaebrahimi, dental student at Peninsula Dental School
Forcing dentists into extended NHS commitments under the current broken system will only deepen disillusionment, driving talent away and deterring prospective students – particularly those from minority backgrounds. Without change, we risk paving the way for private dental schools and shifting dentistry towards an elitist, corporate-dominated future, inaccessible to many.
Tying new graduates to NHS roles for three years ignores stark realities: NHS dentistry already struggles to guarantee foundation training places, and young dentists face immense financial and professional pressures. Meanwhile, proposed extended hours sound admirable but are wholly unrealistic given current workforce morale.
The plan neglects meaningful incentives, like student loan forgiveness, and does nothing to stem the exodus of experienced dentists. True reform must restore NHS dentistry as a respected, sustainable career path – where clinicians can thrive and patients receive the care they deserve.
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