The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) has defended its advocacy of an incremental approach to contract reform following criticism from the British Dental Association (BDA), and questioned which organisation's views best represent the profession.

Earlier this week the ADG published a paper setting out its priorities for dental reform, warning against a ‘root and branch’ rewrite of the existing NHS contract and arguing for ‘funding and flexibility’ to make it fit for purpose.

However, the BDA was quick to challenge the ADG's stance, with chair Dr Eddie Crouch arguing that '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'.

Mr Crouch added that 'ministers don't need another lesson in how to fill a leaky bucket', and emphasised the need for 'turning the page on 20 years of failed contracts and savage cuts'.

The ADG has now hit back at Dr Crouch’s comments, reiterating its call for 'reform but not wholesale replacement of the contract' and also insisting that the profession 'should be talking up NHS dentistry [and] not inadvertently suggesting dentists are insufficiently interested in it'.

Executive chair Neil Carmichael argued that there is 'significant overlap’ between the ADG's position and that of campaigners for more radical reform.

He also pointed to a recent BDA survey in which 63% of dentists in England said they were likely to reduce NHS work, acknowledging that it provided an 'important indication of concern among its respondents'.

However, Mr Carmichael highlighted that the research involved 'just 415 general dental practitioners, and the published questions [did] not ask whether dentists favour radical replacement of the contract over progressive reform'.

He added: 'There are over 45,000 registered dentists. Clearly very few of them responded to the survey. The BDA survey represents 0.92% of registered dentists.

'In short, the survey’s results are not representative of the whole profession.'

Mr Carmichael also called for recognition that progress was being made, citing data showing that in 2025/26, courses of treatment for adult patients increased by 6% to 25 million, and by 7% for child patients to 13 million.

'This is due to the thousands of dedicated dentists and other dental professionals,' he said.