High costs of PPE could be passed to dental patients to cover costs

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Higher-end PPE is now required for certain dental procedures

Private dental practices could have to pass on the costs of PPE to their patients, meaning you could be paying extra when you visit the dentist.

The British Dental Association has said whilst NHS charges are fixed by government annually, some private dentists feel that they've had “little choice” other than to pass on some of the higher PPE costs to patients.

The cost of PPE alone, ignoring other treatment costs, for treating one patient using aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) – using high-speed instruments like a drill – was around 35-45 pence pre-pandemic, and could now stand at £20-30 depending on exact PPE requirements and usage.

Higher-end PPE is now required for such procedures – forming the overwhelming majority of dental treatments, which involve the use of high-speed instruments that can carry the viral load into the air. When performing AGPs, dentists have to wear very high levels of PPE, akin to that used in intensive care units, which can prove both very costly and difficult to source.

A spokesperson for the British Dental Association (BDA) said: “Dentists are experts in infection control measures and dental practices are very safe and clean, but since the pandemic they have had to adopt new decontamination and social distancing measures which has drastically reduced the number of patients that dentists can treat.

“In some cases, dentists may not cover their costs unless they apply a charge for PPE.”

Industry sources estimate that the combination of intense competition and pressure on global supply chains for PPE and the Public Health England guidance for enhanced PPE required, could increase PPE costs per patient by as much as 6,000%.

Surgical face masks have increased in price from around 6-8 pence each pre-Covid-19 to around 60 pence each today.

New Public Health England PPE requirements for higher-end PPE means staff require kit never previously needed, including respirator masks, and fluid-resistant gowns for both the dentist and nurses, ranging around £5 each.

In the BDA’s recent survey of 2,000 practices in England, only a third said they have enough PPE to hand to provide face-to-face care, and only 25% have been fit tested.

Furthermore, only 8% of dentists polled by the BDA estimate being able to maintain financial viability based on anticipated patient numbers and added costs post lockdown.

As a result, the professional body is pressing for urgent access to the government supply chain for PPE, and for the temporary VAT cut on PPE – which closes on 31 July – to be extended, and potentially to become permanent, given widespread use across the UK economy.