The review into private dentistry is to be published in six months' time, but the Competition and Markets Authority has given a stronger indication of its focus, finds Peter Ingle

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into private dentistry has seen a recent burst of activity.

GDPUK most recently reported on the CMA’s consultation where they requested information from independent practices. That consultation closed on 31 July, but the CMA published an update on their work even before it closed.

At 56 page,  it gives a good deal of insight into how the investigation has been structured, progress to date, and as a result might give some clues to the CMA’s direction of travel. This latest publication follows the CMA’s previous ‘project roadmap,’ ‘statement of scope’ and it’s ‘4P’s framework’ (which is not related to the old emergency clinic acronym).

Those searching for solid information will see that the CMA have identified five principal themes to investigate. These are:

  • Consumer journey and choice
  • Competition
  • Conduct
  • Regulatory frameworks
  • Market outcomes

To date, the CMA has received input from over 1,800 ‘consumers’ (CMA choice of language) and almost 1,000 dental professionals. These have shaped CMA engagement and lines of enquiry, and it is this process that the update sheds some light upon. It might be a mistake to assume that the CMA’s non -professional sources resemble typical patients, since one source of inputs has been from the CMA Consumer Forum, which is made up of senior stakeholders from consumer representative organisations.

One telling example of how responses to date are shaping up comes from dental professionals’ responses to the question about the challenges that they face. The overwhelmingly largest issue was high costs, which appears an order of magnitude greater than workforce, public perception, and regulation.

Elsewhere, one of the negative professional responses about types of dental provision suggests that the market is working: ‘Private dentistry is competitive, especially now as more and more practices are leaving the NHS. This makes growth and patient retention more difficult as there is more choice for patients.’

Based upon early engagement in May 2026, the CMA has refined its five themes. This saw the inclusion of dental payment plans as part of the consumer journey and choice theme. There was clarification about what aspects of regulatory frameworks would be considered, and consideration of how price increases and profitability could relate to different business models. It might be that the recent CMA investigation into vets has raised the possibility of trying to ascertain the effect of the corporates on the market, and in particular the first two, and last, of the study themes.

To many consumers, and perhaps the outgoing chancellor Rachel Reeves who instigated the study, it was the fees charged for private dentistry that were of most interest. Under the ‘market outcomes’ theme, the CMA are investigating how those fees have changed compared to inflation and profitability. They are also considering whether there is cross subsidisation, as well whether different business models influence consumer prices.

The CMA will receive a huge amount of information, much of it conflicting. This is well illustrated by the ‘things we have heard’ section of the update covering the market outcomes theme: ‘One consumer organisation stated that prices for private dentistry have outgrown inflation in the past two years, as well as exhibiting greater price dispersion. One professional association said that private dental fees have declined in real terms.’

The challenge that the CMA faces is dispassionately evaluating this, and the many other conflicting claims that it will receive.

The CMA say that this update document does not set out any findings or conclusions from their work to date. Their work will continue through to Autumn 2026, when they expect to publish and consult on their ‘emerging thinking’. This will include any concerns about how the market is working, and potential options to improve outcomes. The final report publication date is set by the statutory deadline of 4 March 2027.