The Future of Orthodontics
By admin
overview
In light of the new dental contract that came into force on April 1st last year, all dentists and orthodontic specialists are obliged to now have a contract with their local Health Board – responsible for deciding what treatment is available in a certain area and also for funding – in order to be able to provide an NHS service to their patients.
Here, Dr Viren Patel, orthodontic specialist and director of the Orthodontic Centre in Cardiff, talks us through what the changes will actually mean in practice:
“Historically, orthodontists have been able to see as many patients as they choose but with news that the government is attempting to target limited NHS resources more specifically towards those children with the greatest oral health, rather than cosmetic need the question is what this actually means for those seeking treatment.
“While it may sound like a common sense approach to best use of limited resources, unfortunately it appears that the government has failed to provide enough funds for orthodontics and the introduction of the new contract means that only a fixed number of treatments can be carried out, resulting in longer waiting lists to see an orthodontist on the NHS.
“This is proving a concern to the British Orthodontic Society, as treatment is normally best administered when patients are teenagers and extended waiting times could lead to additional problems. As part of the new contract, there is also the added restriction that orthodontists are required to assess an individual’s need for treatment prior to accepting them as an NHS patient. Those that do not meet the specified score will be deemed ineligible for treatment.”
So what will this mean for Wales?
Dr Patel continues:
“Monies allocated to the Local Health Boards by Welsh Assembly Government for dentistry and orthodontics is ringfenced until 31st March 2009 but after that date, it will be up to the Boards, in consultation with members of the public, to work out how much money it wants to spend on NHS dentistry.
“Obviously, the Local Health Board will have a statutory obligation to provide and pay for a basic dental service but in an environment where there may be other areas of health care that have a greater priority such as cancer care, maternity services etc, the Health Board may decide not to fund as much orthodontic treatment as it has in the past.”
Other European countries have also reduced the amount of orthodontic treatment that they will fund from central funds and it seems reasonable to assume that England and Wales will follow this model.
Orthodontic provision on the NHS may become more restricted in the future with only the most severe problems being treated on the NHS.
This may result in about 30% to 40% of 12 to 16 year olds who want orthodontic treatment being denied NHS funding if the worst scenario becomes reality.
In terms of the impact on individual orthodontic practices, Dr Patel says:
“I have practiced as a specialist orthodontist in Cardiff for 17 years and have been fortunate to have built up a good reputation with both referring dentists and also the general public. My practice team is regarded in the highest esteem by all the dentists that refer their patients to me for specialist orthodontic treatment and I have also had the privilege to treat a large number of children of dentists and their nurses.
“The advice from The British Orthodontic Association and also The British Dental Association has been to plan for the effects that the new dental contract may have on our practices and to move away from reliance on NHS contracts.
“At the Orthodontic Centre, we are fortunate in that it has always provided private treatment and have the experience and the team that will enable us to adapt to the significant changes that lie ahead.”
