Patients foot the bill for cuts as NHS dental charges rise 45% in a decade

Dentists say there is a black hole' in funding for dental treatment in England, with further 4% increase to come next month

Patients are paying for stealth cuts" in England's dental budget, with NHS charges for treatment increasing by around 45% in the past decade while government spending has been cut in real terms, a new analysis reveals.

Increases of 4% on NHS dental fees will be implemented next month, with patients now footing the bill for about a quarter of the 3bn dental budget.