Across England, a third of adults say the cost of dental care has affected the type of treatment they receive, and a further quarter report that cost has delayed their care.[i] For practices, that pressure shows up in the appointment book and in the conversations teams have with patients about treatment plans.
Dental Directory is constantly looking at ways to support dental practice teams and, gaining valuable insights through a scheduled practice survey, is just one way to stay close, the latest survey suggests patients are feeling the cost of dental care more sharply than they did earlier this year. Between the summer and autumn surveys, more practices reported patients delaying treatment and looking for cheaper options, while spending with suppliers held steady. The results also show how practices are adapting, with more of them comparing prices product by product rather than cutting back.
Patient input
More than half of practices (58.8%) now see patients delaying treatment, which has increased from 50.5% in July. The proportion reporting requests for lower-cost alternatives rose by the same margin to 44.1%.
The largest movements were evident later in the patient journey, where one in three practices reported more new-patient check-up cancellations, compared with 21.0% in July, and 34.2% had seen patients moving towards NHS treatment, up from 20.9%. At 13.3%, the shift towards NHS care was the biggest change between the latest surveys. For mixed practices, this might initiate looking into how NHS and private options are explained to patients.
Deferred treatment can bring patients back later with more complex needs, and a cancelled first check-up could affect the relationship with the patient – especially if they are new to the practice. Patients under financial pressure also tend to put urgent treatment ahead of preventive care,[ii] which makes routine recall much more difficult for practices to protect.
Purchasing considerations
The share of practices shopping around for the best price rose from 40.5% to 44.4%, yet fewer reported ordering less overall (18.7%, down from 22.4%) or spending less with their main supplier (9.4%, down from 11.9%). Practices are protecting their supply budgets while looking harder at the price and value of individual lines.
Comparing prices on every order is certainly a way of ensuring costs are monitored, but it adds significant time to a working day that is already heavily split between patient care, team management, administration, and other important tasks.
We stand with practices as pressures grow
With patients asking for cheaper options and teams comparing prices line by line, Dental Directory works with practices as a partner rather than simply a supplier. That means prices that hold up to comparison, and the products teams rely on being in stock when they need them, so getting good value never adds to anyone’s workload.
For everyday consumables, the Dental Directory UnoDent range offers quality products at a price that eases the cost of frequently used lines, with leading manufacturer brands alongside so practices can strike the right balance for each product. Prevention and hygiene lines, including fluoride varnishes, air polishing powders, interdental brushes, and whitening, give practices affordable ways to keep patients engaged with their oral health while larger treatments are on hold.
Dental Directory covers far more of the practice than many customers realise, from consumables and small equipment to intraoral scanners, servicing and repairs, compliance services, medical emergencies training, and IT security through Microminder. By consolidating this spending to just one partner, fewer accounts and invoices require management, with a single team that knows the practice and its needs.
Supporting practices through the months ahead
The most recent survey shows affordability pressure building on patients, and practices responding with more deliberate purchasing. Dental Directory will continue its periodic survey to follow how these pressures develop into the new year. From the next consumables order or a larger equipment decision to intraoral scanners and small equipment, the same supportive team is there to help practices get the value they need, whichever way patient demand moves. Practices have a partner on their side – we’ve got you.
For more information on the products and services available from Dental Directory, please visit ddgroup.com or call 0800 585 586.
References
[i]Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Adult oral health survey 2021: report summary. Gov.uk. Accessed October 20, 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/adult-oral-health-survey-2021/adult-oral-health-survey-2021-report-summary
[ii]Harris R, Lowers V, Hulme C, Burnside G, Best A, Clarkson JE, Cooke R, Van Der Zande M, Maitland R. Behavioural intervention to promote the uptake of planned care in urgent dental care attenders: study protocol for the RETURN randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Jun 7;23(1):475. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06418-2. PMID: 35672830; PMCID: PMC9172193.
