Next steps for dentistry and oral health: regulation, prevention and dental contract reform

Whilst confirming that innovative preventive focused commissioning models can improve health outcomes the study also highlights the financial impact of the contracts. There is a need to understand how best to promote and encourage appropriate dental service attendance especially amongst those with high level of need to avoid increasing health inequalities and that this is not simply about improving access. For dental practitioners, there are challenges around perceptions about preventive dentistry and use of the risk assessments and care pathways. Changes in delivery to embrace deployment of greater skill mix pose opportunity but also challenges.