UK competition watchdog to review private dentistry market after prices rise by 23%
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<p>CMA says it wants to ensure market ‘working well for consumers’ as figures show one in five seeking private care</p><p>The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a review into the £8bn private dentistry market after the price of a consultation increased by nearly 25% over a two-year period.</p><p>One in five people in Great Britain sought private dental care in 2024 in part because they could not access NHS treatment. Announcing its investigation, the <a href=
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UK competition watchdog to review private dentistry market after prices rise by 23% CMA says it wants to ensure market ‘working well for consumers’ as figures show one in five seeking private care The UK’s competition watchdog has launched a review into the £8bn private dentistry market after the price of a consultation increased by nearly 25% over a two-year period. One in five people in Great Britain sought private dental care in 2024 in part because they could not access NHS treatment. Announcing its investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority said it wanted to make sure the market was “working well for UK consumers”. The CMA said dentistry played “a critical role in people’s health and wellbeing” and that demand for private services had risen sharply in recent years. Against this backdrop the regulator pointed to independent price data that showed average prices had “increased significantly”. Between 2022 and 2024 the price of an initial consultation rose by over 23% to £80, the data showed. The price of routine check-ups for existing patients was up over 14% at £55. The CMA said the review was “not a criticism of clinicians or the care they provide, but an examination of how the market is working for consumers”. The private market is set against an NHS service in crisis. Dentists are increasingly pulling out of doing NHS-funded work because the fees for many procedures do not cover the costs involved, according to the British Dental Association . Last year the Guardian reported cases of people pulling their own teeth because they were unable to access emergency dental care in England. With more Britons using private dentists, Sarah Cardell, the CMA chief executive, said the watchdog was concerned that many may “be uncertain about costs, availability, treatment options and what they’re entitled to”. “For some, turning to private dentistry is a choice – but for many, it’s a necessity,” said Cardell. “We want to hear directly from people across the UK abo...
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