A leading healthcare expert has issued a stark warning, highlighting that poor oral health is directly linked to serious systemic conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Ash Shah, managing director of healthcare products distributor World Products, is now calling for urgent changes to NHS pricing, specifically advocating for free or heavily subsidised dental care.
The Case for Free Preventative Care
Ash Shah argues that it is illogical to treat dental health as separate from general wellbeing. The evidence clearly connects poor dental health to heart disease, diabetes, and infections. He states that by charging patients for routine dental care, the NHS is effectively pushing health problems "downstream" until they become expensive emergencies.
"That is the most expensive way to run a health system," Shah said. "At the very least, preventative services should be free or heavily subsidised: dentistry, basic eye care, and long-term condition reviews. Prevention is always cheaper than treatment."
The Current Cost of NHS Dental Treatment
While many NHS services are free at the point of use, dental care and prescriptions in England often come with a fee. NHS prescriptions currently cost £9.90 per item in England, though they are free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Dental treatment is structured into three bands.
Band 1, costing £27.40, covers routine check-ups, advice, X-rays, and simple gum disease treatment like scaling. Band 2, priced at £75.30, includes all Band 1 treatments plus more extensive work such as fillings, root canals, and tooth extractions.
The most expensive is Band 3, which more than triples in cost to £326.70. This covers complex procedures like crowns, bridges, dentures, and orthodontic treatments such as braces. NHS guidance states that dentists must inform patients of costs before starting treatment, and patients only pay once per band for multiple treatments.
Implications for Public Health and NHS Spending
The call for reform underscores a significant public health issue. Making preventative dental care free could reduce the long-term burden on the NHS by preventing the development of costly chronic conditions linked to oral health. This debate places a spotlight on the postcode lottery of healthcare costs within the UK, where dental and prescription charges vary significantly across the four nations.
Shah's intervention suggests that investing in upfront, preventative measures is not just a health imperative but a financial one, potentially saving the health service millions by avoiding emergency interventions for heart disease, diabetes, and severe infections stemming from neglected oral health.
