Dentists charging extortionate fees for private work

Patients pay extortionate prices for private dentistry without obvious justification for the charges or sufficient information to enable them to find a better deal, an inquiry has found.

Private-sector dentists routinely flout guidance from their regulatory body, breach their terms of service and fail to disclose the treatment they propose or what it will cost in advance, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) says.

No checks are made on the quality of private dentistry, no universal complaints procedure has been set up and a lack of transparency "suggests the market is not working well for consumers". Unnecessary restrictions on hygienists and therapists impede competition.

About 10 million adults receive private dental treatment, seven million regularly, and the market is expanding rapidly, with 60 per cent growth between 1997 and 2001. It is worth more than £1bn a year. The investigation, triggered by a complaint from the Consumers' Association, found prices varied four to fivefold, ranging from £9.50 to £40 for an examination, from £10 to £54.25 for a simple filling, and from £85 to £327.85 for a molar tooth root filling.

Although price differences may reflect variations in quality, the report says "it is far from obvious that this is true for such wide ranges. Moreover, the lack of price information could result in consumers ... paying far more for their dental treatment from one dentist than they would from another without any justifiable difference in the quality of service received."

John Vickers, director general of the OFT, said consumers needed better information to help them choose a dentist with quality checks and the chance to choose NHS treatment.

"Private dentistry is a young mass market not yet properly consumer oriented. Poor information for many consumers, a lack of price transparency and inadequate self-regulation is limiting competition and choice," he said.

John Renshaw, chairman of the British Dental Association, called for an information campaign to explain charges and treatments. "Our advice to dentists is to display price lists so patients understand what they are paying for," he said.

Cost comparison

Examination: NHS £5.32 Private (low) £9.50

Private (high) £40

Scale & polish: NHS £8.36 Private (low) £12.63

Private (high) £40

Small filling: NHS £5.64 Private (low) £10.00

Private (high) £54.25