A separate NHS dental contract for the treatment of children should be explored as part of reforms to dentistry in England, according to the Association of Dental Groups (ADG).
In a new paper setting out its priorities for NHS dental contract reform, the ADG called for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to work with stakeholders to explore a child-only contract that reflects the different oral health needs of children and adults.
The association said any new approach should focus on preventive care and be developed through further consultation with experts, rather than simply applying changes to the existing adult contract.
It highlighted supervised toothbrushing, community water fluoridation and fluoride varnish among measures that should form part of a greater focus on preventing poor oral health among children.
Neil Carmichael, executive chair of the ADG, said: ‘We have to consider that the needs of adults and children differ, so the DHSC must work closely with all relevant stakeholders to determine what is right for both.’
For adults, the ADG warned against a ‘root and branch’ rewrite of the existing NHS dental contract, arguing that funding and flexibility could adapt the current system to make it fit for purpose.
The association said its members support the incremental changes introduced in April 2026 from a clinical perspective and see them as ‘a step in the right direction’, but warned that wholesale reform could be disruptive for providers, clinicians and patients.
It urged NHS England and integrated care boards to seek feedback from dental providers, professionals and patient groups on problems implementing the April changes, including Complex Care Pathways, urgent and unscheduled care, and data and reporting.
The ADG stressed that current operational problems should be resolved and the updated system evaluated before further changes are considered.
Future reforms should be underpinned by ‘meaningful consultation’, according to the paper, with data and reporting systems that are ‘robust, tested with stakeholders and... supported with clear communication’.
The performance of the new Welsh General Dental Services contract should also be assessed before future policy is developed in England.
Funding is another major focus of the paper, with the association warning that increases in the minimum unit of dental activity (UDA) rate need to be matched by additional NHS dental funding to avoid reducing routine activity and patient access.
It wants the delayed dental practice cost audit published urgently and used to inform discussions over the minimum UDA rate.
The paper also says DHSC should accept recommendations from the review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration (DDRB) without applying the GDP deflator until a relevant dental cost index is introduced.
On workforce, the ADG warned that the NHS Dental Performer List (DPL) could become a new barrier preventing clinicians from reaching patients as more dentists enter the UK system.
It wants the process revised so it complements rather than duplicates General Dental Council registration, alongside streamlined data collection and updated NHS mentorship requirements.
Mr Carmichael said: ‘We must ensure that the progress made in widening entry routes for overseas dentists does not simply shift the bottleneck to the Dental Performer List.’
However, the BDA criticised the approach around incremental reform. BDA chair Dr Eddie Crouch said: 'You will struggle to find a dentist in this country who thinks the answer to the crisis in NHS dentistry is more tweaks at the margins.
'Ministers don’t need another lesson in how to fill a leaky bucket. We won’t halt the exodus from the NHS without turning the page on 20 years of failed contracts and savage cuts.'