The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a review of private dentistry.
Look into both essential care and cosmetic treatments, the CMA is seeking feedback from consumers and dental professionals as it explores how well the market is working – from finding a dentist and understanding prices to knowing where to go if something goes wrong.
In particular, the study will explore:
- Access to private dentistry: The availability of private dental services in different areas, and how easily people can switch between providers.
- Consumer choice and experience: How people search for dental care, compare providers, and understand the information they receive from dental professionals – including how experiences may vary for different consumer groups, such as vulnerable individuals.
- Treatment prices: How prices for private dental services have changed compared with inflation.
- Business tactics and behaviour: Whether dentists engage in any practices that may be unfair, misleading or anti‑competitive that could harm consumers or limit their choice.
- Competition between private dentists: How dental practices compete to attract and retain patients, and whether competition is leading to good results for consumers on pricing, and experience.
- Complaint and redress mechanisms: Whether people can easily raise concerns or seek redress when things go wrong.
- Sector regulation: Whether the regulatory frameworks – and how they are enforced – support good outcomes for consumers, including access to clear information.
The CMA stressed this study is not a criticism of clinicians or the care they provide, but an examination of how the market is working for consumers.
As dentistry is devolved to national governments, the CMA will take these differences into account and work closely with all four national governments as its study progresses.
This work aligns with the CMA’s 2026-2029 strategy to protect consumers in their day-to-day lives and prioritises action in essential areas of household spend.
In taking forward this work, the CMA will apply its 4Ps approach – pace, predictability, proportionality and process.
The CMA also published advice – including three top tips – to help people understand private dental costs, explore available options and know what to expect before starting treatment.
Top Tips for private dental patients
1 . Compare what’s available to find a dentist that works for your needs
If you’re looking for a dentist, search online and ask your friends and family where they go. Research can help you make the right decision for you. There’s lots to think about: Does the practice offer NHS and private treatments? What about the costs? And do the practice facilities and opening hours work for you?
2 . Make sure you know and understand the cost before you agree to treatment
Private dental fees can vary, so it’s important to ask for clear pricing upfront. Knowing the cost in advance helps you avoid nasty surprises and makes it easier to plan ahead. Ask for a written plan explaining any treatments and costs, so you can see what you’re paying for. It’s one of the simplest ways to understand your options, compare approaches and feel confident you’re getting good value for money.
3 . Ask if there are other treatment options that might suit you
Your dentist should explain all treatment options available to you – including those that may be cheaper. If you’re not sure why they are recommending a treatment, or you’re worried about the cost, ask them to talk you through the alternatives.
The CMA has published online forms for consumers and dental professionals to share their experiences, as well as a separate call for views on the proposed scope of the study. This feedback will help shape the areas to be examined. While the study will not examine NHS dentistry on its own, it will consider how NHS systems influence the private market, including the impact on people’s choices and treatment availability.
Possible outcomes
Depending on what the evidence shows, the CMA said its market study could lead to a range of outcomes and could include recommendations to governments to change regulation of the sector, direct action from the CMA, or new guidance to help ensure businesses are clear on their obligations. The review may also help inform or shape future policy in the different nations of the UK.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “Going to the dentist is an important part of health and wellbeing, yet we’re concerned 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. People need clear, accessible information at the right time so they can make the right decisions for themselves and their families.
“We want to hear directly from people across the UK about their experiences – good or bad – to help us build a clear picture of how this market is working in practice.”
Escalating prices
Brett Hill, head of health and protection at independent consultancy Broadstone, maintained rules around supply and demand apply here as prices rise.
“What we are seeing here is the fundamental economics of supply and demand – as NHS dental services have collapsed, so large numbers of people have turned to the private sector to get the treatment they need and, as demand has increased, so have prices,” Hill said.
“The CMA’s review is timely as the pressures facing the dental market are unlikely to abate and it is important that consumers continue to have fair access to private services to maintain their health and wellbeing.
“If the CMA delivers, greater transparency around pricing and treatment options, that would help individuals make more informed decisions, while also enabling employers and benefit providers to design dental benefits that genuinely improve access and value for workers
“Employers have a significant role to play in making private dentistry more affordable for their employees, whether through funding health cash plans, dental insurance schemes or private medical insurance schemes that include benefits for dental treatment. Employers who aren’t able to fund such benefits can still support employees by making them available for employees to purchase via salary sacrifice, often at a much lower cost than employees would have to pay if purchasing such policies themselves.”
Fair service
Rebecca Hainsworth, partner in commercial healthcare at UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson, pointed out that with a vast number of consumers pushed towards the private sector, the CMA clearly wants to understand whether they are receiving a fair service in a competitive trading environment.
“It will likely want to understand whether consumers are able to make educated decisions about choosing dentists and receive sufficient information on pricing, as well as whether providers are deploying anti-competitive practices or misleading patients regarding the level of treatment they require,” Jacobson said.
“This intervention reflects how the government views dentistry as a priority within its focus on improving healthcare. It has made a number of pledges around dentistry, including providing 700,000 extra urgent appointments annually and investing £100m in encouraging dentists to take on NHS work.
“This review has echoes of the CMA’s investigation into fertility clinics, whereby escalating costs and limited NHS capacity had a knock-on effect on independent providers. It eventually found that numerous clinics had violated consumer law by failing to provide transparent pricing, particularly regarding hidden costs and unproven ‘add-on’ treatments.
“Clinics were compelled to update their terms and conditions, while there has also been a concerted effort to improve price comparison tools and equip the regulator with stronger powers for enforcing compliance.
“It’s therefore important that dental practices – whether high street businesses or large independent healthcare providers that deliver dental services – engage with this initial fact-finding exercise and are transparent in order to get ahead of any potential formal investigation that could be coming down the track.”
