{"id":100966,"date":"2025-05-14T14:13:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/100966\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T14:13:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:13:21","slug":"three-elements-have-sparked-the-perfect-storm-for-nhs-dentists-in-northern-ireland-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/100966\/","title":{"rendered":"Three elements have sparked the perfect storm for NHS dentists in Northern Ireland \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by Gentle Dental Care<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSimply put, a lot of dental practices here have either stopped taking NHS patients or have left the NHS altogether – and unsurprisingly, the region\u2019s dental health hasn\u2019t improved.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is the stark warning from Adam Jaffa, managing partner at privately operated Gentle Dental Care<\/a> on Belfast\u2019s Lisburn Road – a family owned business since 1969 currently headed-up by a team of eight dentists, including principal dentist Lucy Stock, Adam\u2019s sister and regular contributor to the Irish News. He adds that as the majority of dental care in Northern Ireland was traditionally provided by the NHS, this seismic shift is impacting a lot of people.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to services is a big problem and there hasn\u2019t been fantastic communication from politicians and the public sector as the crisis in NHS dental care deepens. This has of course left patients confused and frustrated,\u201d explains Adam.<\/p>\n

\"PatientPatient treatment at Gentle Dental Care (WCampbell ARPS) <\/p>\n

Dentists here have been granted a reprieve on the EU ban on mercury-based fillings allowing them to continue using dental amalgam until 2034. And last year, a \u00a39.2m investment in dental access initiatives for 2024\/25 was welcomed along with a 6% pay uplift for dentists.<\/p>\n

However the Chair of the Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, Dr Ciara Gallagher has warned that April\u2019s hike in National Insurance Contributions will force more dentists to \u201cshrink\u201d the NHS element of their practices. That\u2019s alongside last year\u2019s dire warning that there was \u201can exodus\u201d of dentists from the NHS in Northern Ireland \u201cwell under way\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018People are really suffering\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Adam, managing partner at Gentle Dental Care<\/a> said: \u201cWe had one man recently who was unaware his own dentist had retired. In desperate need of care, he had visited three separate practices, rang many others and had walked to the Royal and City Hospital before he showed up at our door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam says that as his role is very much customer facing and \u201con the coalface\u201d, he is getting a real feel for the bigger picture and the challenges that people seeking dental care are now facing.<\/p>\n

\u201cCovid and Brexit disruption as well as lower funding for NHS dentistry has all helped create a perfect storm for the profession,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cDentists had to renovate and adapt during the pandemic to keep patients safe, that cost a lot money. And Brexit has had a knock-on effect on the pricing of parts and equipment and materials.<\/p>\n

\n

In the 70s, the biggest conversations revolved around the economy, more specifically a lack of jobs. Access to healthcare – including dentistry – is a major issue of our day.<\/p>\n

And a lot of people with previously good oral health, now have significant problems<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Adam Jaffa, Gentle Dental Care<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cMeanwhile funding for NHS dentistry is not as good as it was when I was a boy growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam, whose father was a dentist, said: \u201cIn the 70s, the biggest conversations revolved around the economy, more specifically a lack of jobs. Access to healthcare – including dentistry – is a major issue of our day.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a lot of people with previously good oral health, now have significant problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the middle of a shift and there\u2019s a lot of discussion going on in this profession with regards to what the industry might look like in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will the government provide? It\u2019s unlikely to be as it was before Covid times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AdamAdam Jaffa, managing partner at privately operated Gentle Dental Care and dentist Lucy Stock <\/p>\n

\u2018Dentistry is a vocation – dentists don\u2019t want people to suffer\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Adam adds that conversations surrounding access to timely services are a sore point for dentists.<\/p>\n

He adds: \u201cDentists genuinely want to help people, that\u2019s why they do this.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re listening at Gentle Dental Care<\/a>, and taking time with people. We understand that many are feeling distress and desperation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe operate as a private dentist aiming to keep prices affordable, offering flexible payment plans tailored to each patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have increased our staff and sought to make online booking easy – anything to help alleviate some of that stress and frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people are in snowballing mode with an abscess, broken tooth etc and haven\u2019t had time to save, we want to get them in and get them treated rather than having to wait and suffer pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working hard to make that pathway as flexible as possible. To date, there\u2019s been very few cases that we can\u2019t sort a payment plan for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PatientPatient consultation at Gentle Dental (WCampbell ARPS) <\/p>\n

\u2018Big conversations will need to happen in order to protect the vulnerable\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Adam explains that as dental practices here see more patients with workplace healthcare and insurance plans, big conversations will need to take place to protect those who are unemployed or can\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorkplaces are stepping up and realising that it is in their interest to keep employees, and their families, healthy with attractive healthcare plans and I\u2019m expecting that trend to continue,\u201d adds Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the US companies that set up here offer really wonderful packages that even include braces and cosmetic dentistry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is incredible, but naturally the conversation needs to turn to the unemployed and ensuring that a safety net is in place for them.<\/p>\n

\n

Children with special educational needs and disabilities are also extremely important. We\u2019re seeing an increasing number of children requiring dedicated and more individualised support. <\/p>\n

There are of course dentists that dedicate their entire career to this, but we need more bodies on the ground to help ensure that these children, and their parents and carers, get the help they need and deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Adam Jaffa, Gentle Dental Care<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cChildren with special educational needs and disabilities are also extremely important. We\u2019re seeing an increasing number of children requiring dedicated and more individualised support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are of course dentists that dedicate their entire career to this, but it is still a great area of need and we need more bodies on the ground to help ensure that these children, and their parents and carers, get the help they need and deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Adam comments that the trend for seeking cheaper, sometimes under-regulated, treatment abroad has \u201cslackened off\u201d, there are still people here turning to DIY dentistry.<\/p>\n

He adds: \u201cPeople are trying to do what they can at home to manage serious and debilitating issues but we don\u2019t want is a return to Victorian-era type solutions as people wait desperately for care.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why the team at Gentle Dental Care<\/a> are trying to be as accessible as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018The good news… we\u2019re in a golden era of innovation\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Although it is easy to get lost in the never-ending tide of negative headlines surrounding NHS dentistry, Adam does enthuse that there is lots to be positive about as dentistry enters a golden era of innovation with lots of new technology and treatments.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a different moment for dentistry and we\u2019re fortunate to have eight dentists to keep up-to-date with these advances and share knowledge and expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can make results better and more streamlined, all accelerated by AI. We can do so much without the patient even having to be in the chair,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pace of innovation is remarkable, so much has changed since my father retired. And people who haven\u2019t been to a dentist in years, will see a huge change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re also entering a new era for anxious patients, it\u2019s getting easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018An exciting time for graduates\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Queen\u2019s University Belfast scored the highest ranking UK dentistry course in 2024 and in 2023.<\/p>\n

Adam adds: \u201cWe need to make it super attractive for these graduates to stay in Northern Ireland where there is great need.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recently met some [graduates]. They are super motivated and are going to be a wonderful asset to the industry. We\u2019ve also so many great dentists from the Republic of Ireland and abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201cDentistry is a vocation but it\u2019s still a huge commitment to take that student loan. Therefore it\u2019s important that everything stabilises and that dentistry remains a really attractive profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GentleGental Dental Care <\/p>\n

It\u2019s well known the link between gum disease and heart disease and Adam reiterates the importance of good dental health for overall health.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow experts are highlighting a link between gum disease and diabetes,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking in unison with other healthcare professionals, dentists are interested in whole health and a holistic approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cDentists are motivated to help avoid problems and stress preventative care.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about taking the time to discuss overall health.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to stress that at Gentle Dental Care<\/a>, in this time of uncertainty, we are here to listen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sponsored by Gentle Dental Care \u201cSimply put, a lot of dental practices here have either stopped taking NHS…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":100967,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[4348,1144,26288,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-100966","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-healthcare","9":"tag-northern-ireland","10":"tag-sponsored","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114506603369316454","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}