The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) membership is at an all-time high as a further five groups have joined over the last six months. Now a total of 28 of the UK’s dental groups, ranging from some of the largest groups of dental practices in the country to smaller providers make up the membership profile. The five new member groups to sign up recently are smaller, showing that even for groups with fewer practices, there are benefits to be gained from representation at policy level by the ADG, which is the trade association for dental group providers.
New dental groups:
- Cwmbwrla Dentist Practice: one practice offering both NHS & private care
- High Street Smiles: three practices offering both NHS & private care
- Elegant Smiles Group: five practices offering both NHS & private care
- Bessacarr Dental Practice: two practices offering both NHS & private care
- SGA Services: three practices offering both NHS & private care
About the Association of Dental Groups (ADG):
The ADG represents over 2,000 practices, with approximately 1,800 in England and the balance spread across the devolved nations. The ADG’s members are made up of approximately 10,000 clinicians delivering NHS, community and private dentistry to more than 10 million patients every year. The ADG members adopt and share best practice to enable their peers to deliver the highest quality service to patients, with a focus on preventative care.
The leadership of ADG members are often experienced dentists themselves, with involvement in professional and vocational training. Areas of focus include working on sector improvements for dental groups, including sharing consistent best practice, supporting innovation, and encouraging the investment and skills development of all dental professionals. The ADG aims to do this by shaping policy, raising awareness and influencing key stakeholders. The ADG is involved in policy development, encouraging policy makers to make evidence-based decisions. Workforce support includes campaigning for more dentists to be trained in the UK, identifying key strategies to improve recruitment and the retention of dental professionals from the UK and abroad, including streamlining onboarding processes.
Neil Carmichael, Executive Chair, ADG said: “The ADG is delighted to welcome these new smaller members to our group. The landscape is tough for dentistry in the UK currently and by coming together and standing united, we can help policy makers make the right decisions to set the profession back on its feet. The ADG’s priority is to represent all our members, large and small – and support them to give patients the best dental care possible.”
