What is the CMA review of private dentistry?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a market study into private dental services in the UK on 5 March 2026. The study is examining how the private dental market works, how well it performs for consumers and whether there are ways it could work better. Its scope includes preventative, clinically necessary and cosmetic private dental services.
As of September 2026, the CMA has not published final findings or conclusions. The CMA's current timetable anticipates consultation on its emerging thinking and possible remedies in October–November 2026, followed by a final report by the statutory deadline of 4 March 2027.
The review is therefore best understood as an ongoing examination of how the private dentistry market operates, rather than a final judgement on dentists, dental practices or the quality of private dental care.
What Is the CMA Private Dentistry Review?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is examining the supply of private dental services across the UK.
The market study was launched on 5 March 2026 and is currently open. The CMA's stated focus is:
- How the private dental market works
- How well it works for consumers
- Whether it could work better
The review covers private dental services including:
- Preventative dental care
- Clinically necessary treatment
- Cosmetic dentistry
- Services delivered by dentists
- Services delivered by other dental professionals
The CMA's scope specifically concerns private dental services. NHS dentistry and Health and Social Care (HSC) Northern Ireland services are not themselves included within the private-service definition being studied. However, the CMA says it will consider how NHS systems influence the private market, including their effect on consumer choices and treatment availability.
Is the CMA Investigating Individual Dentists?
No. The market study is not an investigation into individual dentists or an allegation that individual clinicians have acted improperly.
The CMA stated when launching the study that it recognises the professionalism of dental professionals and that the work is an examination of how the market operates for consumers, rather than a criticism of clinicians or the care they provide.
This distinction is important for dental practices and professionals.
The study is looking at broader market questions such as:
- How consumers find dental providers
- How treatment options are explained
- How prices are communicated
- How practices compete
- How consumers can switch providers
- How complaints and redress operate
- Whether existing regulatory frameworks support good consumer outcomes
These are market-level questions, not findings that individual dentists have breached professional standards.
Why Has the CMA Started a Review of Private Dentistry?
The CMA launched the study against a backdrop of increased use of private dental care and concerns about consumers' experiences when choosing and paying for treatment.
The CMA's launch announcement cited several pieces of external research. It reported that:
- 1 in 5 people in Great Britain used private dental care in 2024
- Average initial consultation prices increased by more than 23% between 2022 and 2024, reaching £80
- Routine check-ups for existing patients increased by more than 14% to £55 over the same period
- Private dental services represented 69% of the UK dental market in 2025
- The private dentistry market was valued at £8.4 billion in 2023–24
These figures were external research cited by the CMA, rather than statistics independently generated by the CMA itself. The CMA also noted evidence suggesting that difficulties accessing NHS dentistry have contributed to increased use of private dental services.
The CMA is therefore examining whether consumers have sufficient information and choice when accessing private dental care.
What Is the CMA Examining?
The CMA's work covers several interconnected areas of the private dental market.
1. Access to Private Dentistry
The CMA is examining the availability of private dental services in different areas and how easily consumers can access providers.
Questions include:
- How available are private dental services?
- Do consumers have meaningful choices between providers?
- How easy is it to change dental practices?
- Are there differences in access between areas or consumer groups?
Access is particularly relevant where patients have difficulty obtaining NHS dental care and subsequently consider private treatment.
2. Consumer Choice and Experience
Another major part of the review concerns how patients make decisions about private dental care.
This includes how consumers:
- Search for dental practices
- Compare providers
- Understand treatment information
- Assess different treatment options
- Understand prices
- Decide whether to proceed with treatment
- Experience the process after treatment
The CMA has also considered whether experiences differ between different groups of consumers, including potentially vulnerable consumers.
3. Private Dental Prices
Pricing is another area under examination.
The CMA has been considering questions around:
- How private dental prices have changed
- How prices are communicated
- Whether consumers understand what they are paying for
- How patients compare prices between practices
- How payment arrangements affect consumer decisions
This does not mean that the CMA has introduced a national private dental price cap.
As of September 2026, there is no CMA-imposed nationwide price cap for private dental treatment.
4. Business Practices and Consumer Information
The study is also examining business conduct within the private dental market.
The CMA has indicated that it is interested in whether businesses use practices that could be:
- Unfair
- Misleading
- Anti-competitive
- Potentially restrictive of consumer choice
The review also considers whether consumers receive sufficiently clear and timely information before making decisions about treatment.
5. Competition Between Dental Practices
The CMA is looking at how private dental practices compete for patients.
This includes questions around:
- Competition between providers
- Consumer choice
- Pricing
- Service experience
- Patient switching
- How practices attract and retain patients
The purpose is to understand whether competition is producing outcomes that work well for consumers.
6. Complaints and Redress
The study is also examining whether consumers can effectively raise concerns or seek redress when something goes wrong.
This makes complaints processes and patient communication relevant areas for dental practices to review.
Practices should therefore ensure patients understand:
- How to raise a concern
- Who handles complaints
- What information is provided to patients
- What happens when a complaint is received
- Which external organisations may be relevant where appropriate
The CMA's study itself does not replace existing professional or regulatory complaints processes.
7. Regulation of Private Dentistry
The CMA is also examining whether the regulatory framework and its enforcement support good outcomes for consumers.
This is an important distinction:
The CMA is reviewing the regulatory environment; it has not yet concluded that existing dental regulation is inadequate.
The final conclusions and any recommendations will depend on the evidence gathered during the study.
What Evidence Has the CMA Gathered?
The CMA has gathered information from both consumers and dental professionals.
Its March 2026 calls for views invited people to share their experiences of private dentistry, including treatment choices, payment arrangements and experiences of working within the sector.
The CMA's July 2026 update reported responses from:
- 1,825 consumers
- 961 dental professionals
- 929 current professionals
- 32 former professionals
The professional responses included dentists and other dental professionals, as well as people working in roles such as practice management and nursing.
The CMA has also sought further input from independent dental practices to develop a broader picture of how the private dentistry market operates.
What Issues Have Emerged From the Evidence?
It is important to distinguish issues raised during evidence gathering from CMA findings.
The CMA has not yet published final conclusions about these issues.
The evidence-gathering process has explored themes including:
- Consumer access
- Treatment costs
- Understanding of treatment options
- Payment arrangements
- Switching between dental providers
- Consumer experiences
- Workforce pressures
- Operating costs for dental practices
- Regulation
- The relationship between NHS and private dentistry
- The experiences of independent practices
These are areas being examined through the market study. They should not be presented as established sector-wide problems simply because they were raised by respondents.
Private Dental Practices and the CMA Review
Independent dental practices are particularly relevant to the study because they represent a substantial part of the private dental market.
The CMA has sought information from independent practices to better understand their experiences and operating environment.
Areas relevant to practices include:
Practice costs
Dental practices may face costs associated with:
- Staff
- Equipment
- Premises
- Laboratory services
- Materials
- Compliance
- Technology
- Insurance
- Training
Understanding these costs is relevant when considering how private dental services are delivered and priced.
Workforce
The review also provides an opportunity to examine workforce-related issues within the broader private dental market.
These may include:
- Recruitment
- Retention
- Working arrangements
- Skill mix
- Availability of dental professionals
- Employment and self-employment arrangements
However, workforce pressures should be treated as part of the evidence being considered rather than as a final CMA conclusion.
What Does the CMA Review Mean for Dental Practice Management?
While the final report is still pending, the review gives practices an opportunity to examine their own patient-facing processes.
This does not mean practices need to make changes because the CMA has already introduced new requirements.
Instead, practices can use the review as a reason to assess whether their existing processes are clear and well documented.
Practices may wish to review:
Treatment information
Make sure patients receive understandable information about:
- Proposed treatment
- Available options
- Relevant alternatives
- Expected costs
- Important limitations or uncertainties
Pricing communication
Practices can review how fees are communicated before treatment begins.
This can include:
- Written estimates
- Treatment plans
- Clear explanations of fees
- Information about staged treatment
- Payment arrangements
Patient communication
Practices should consider whether patients can easily understand:
- What treatment has been proposed
- Why it has been proposed
- What alternatives may exist
- What the treatment is expected to cost
- Who to contact with questions
Complaints procedures
Practices should also ensure that their complaints information is accessible and that staff understand the internal process for handling concerns.
Will the CMA Introduce New Rules for Private Dentists?
Not necessarily.
The CMA's market study could lead to recommendations or other actions depending on what the evidence shows.
The CMA says its emerging thinking is expected to be published for consultation in October–November 2026, including potential areas for improvement and possible options for improving outcomes.
Possible outcomes could include recommendations to governments, action by the CMA or guidance concerning businesses' obligations.
However, these are possible outcomes, not confirmed changes to private dentistry regulation.
Any wider regulatory or policy changes would depend on the relevant government, regulator or other authority.
Will Private Dental Fees Be Capped?
There is currently no CMA national price cap for private dental treatment.
The CMA is examining pricing and consumer information as part of the market study, but that should not be confused with the introduction of a nationwide private dental fee structure.
Whether the final report contains recommendations relating to pricing will depend on the evidence and the CMA's conclusions.
Will Every Private Dental Practice Have to Publish a Fixed Price List?
As of September 2026, the CMA has not introduced a new nationwide requirement requiring every private dental practice to publish a complete fixed price list.
However, the CMA has highlighted the importance of consumers understanding costs before agreeing to treatment.
Its consumer guidance recommends asking for clear information about costs and obtaining a written treatment plan where appropriate.
Existing professional, consumer-protection and regulatory obligations continue to apply independently of the CMA market study.
What Does the Review Mean for Dental Recruitment?
The CMA review is primarily a private dentistry market study, rather than a dental recruitment review.
Nevertheless, its findings could have implications for practice operations, workforce planning and recruitment depending on what the final report recommends.
For dental practices, areas worth reviewing include:
- Recruitment processes
- Associate dentist contracts
- Workforce planning
- Staff retention
- Practice capacity
- Patient demand
- Skill mix
- Training and development
- Working arrangements
For recruitment agencies, understanding changes in the private dental market may also become increasingly relevant when advising practices and candidates.
However, it would be premature to claim that the CMA review will directly increase or reduce dental recruitment.
Does the CMA Review Include NHS Dentistry?
The market study focuses on private dental services, not NHS dentistry as a standalone market.
However, the CMA has said that it will consider how NHS systems influence the private market, including their effects on treatment availability and consumer choices.
This distinction matters because dentistry is devolved across the UK.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different healthcare systems, policies and arrangements.
Therefore, the CMA's private dentistry review should not be interpreted as an England-only review or as a replacement for the separate policies governing NHS dentistry in each nation.
CMA Private Dentistry Review Timeline
The market study was launched on 5 March 2026.
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 5 March 2026 | CMA launches private dental services market study |
| 5–19 March 2026 | Consumer and dental professional calls for views |
| 17 July 2026 | CMA publishes market study update |
| 2026 | Evidence gathering and further stakeholder engagement |
| October–November 2026 | Planned consultation on emerging thinking and possible remedies |
| 4 March 2027 | Statutory deadline for final report |
| March 2027 | Planned publication of final report |
The CMA notes that timetable dates can be updated as the study progresses.
What Happens Next?
The next major stage is the CMA's emerging thinking and remedies consultation, currently planned for October–November 2026.
The CMA expects this stage to:
- Set out work completed so far
- Outline concerns identified from the evidence
- Identify potential areas for improvement
- Propose possible options for improving outcomes
- Invite stakeholder views
The final report is expected by 4 March 2027.
Until that report is published, statements about the ultimate impact of the study should be treated cautiously.
What Should Dental Practices Do Now?
Dental practices do not need to wait for the final CMA report to ensure that their patient-facing processes are clear.
A practical review could include:
1. Review treatment plans
Check whether treatment plans clearly explain proposed treatment and associated costs.
2. Review fee communication
Make sure patients can understand what they are being charged and when.
3. Review consent and communication
Check that patients receive appropriate information before agreeing to treatment.
4. Review alternative treatment information
Where clinically appropriate, ensure relevant treatment options are explained clearly.
5. Review complaints procedures
Make sure patients know how to raise concerns and staff understand the practice's complaints process.
6. Review website information
Check whether important information about services, fees, opening hours and patient communication is clear and easy to find.
7. Monitor CMA updates
The CMA's emerging thinking and final report may provide further information about any recommended changes.
What Does the CMA Review Mean for International Dentists?
For international dentists considering UK employment, the CMA private dentistry review is relevant primarily as a market development, rather than as a change to the dentist registration process.
The review does not remove the existing requirements for dentists who need to register with the General Dental Council (GDC).
International dentists should continue to consider:
- GDC registration
- Appropriate registration route
- Right-to-work requirements
- Employment arrangements
- Practice type
- NHS or private dentistry
- Contract terms
- Professional indemnity
- Career progression
The CMA review should therefore not be interpreted as a new registration pathway for overseas-qualified dentists.
What Could Change After the Final CMA Report?
At present, the final outcome cannot be known.
Depending on the evidence and conclusions, the CMA may make recommendations or take other action within its powers. Its guidance specifically states that potential outcomes could include recommendations to the UK and devolved governments or industry.
Possible areas of future discussion could include:
- Consumer information
- Pricing transparency
- Business practices
- Competition
- Complaints and redress
- Regulatory arrangements
- Consumer choice
These should be treated as areas the study may address, rather than confirmed future regulations.
CMA Private Dentistry Review: Key Takeaways for Dental Practices
The most important point for practices is that the CMA review is still ongoing.
As of September 2026:
- The CMA has launched a UK-wide market study into private dental services.
- The study covers preventative, clinically necessary and cosmetic private dentistry.
- It examines how the market operates and how it performs for consumers.
- Consumers and dental professionals have already provided evidence.
- The CMA has also sought input from independent dental practices.
- The CMA has not published final findings.
- There is currently no CMA national price cap for private dentistry.
- The study is not an investigation into individual dentists.
- Emerging thinking and possible remedies are expected to be consulted on in October–November 2026.
- The final report is due by 4 March 2027.
Most importantly, issues raised during evidence gathering should not be presented as established CMA findings. The evidence-gathering stage and the final conclusions are separate stages of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
1- What is the CMA private dentistry review?
The CMA private dentistry review is a market study launched on 5 March 2026 examining the supply of private dental services in the UK, how the market works for consumers and whether it could work better.
2- Has the CMA published its findings on private dentistry?
No. As of September 2026, the CMA has not published its final findings or conclusions. Its current timetable anticipates emerging thinking and possible remedies consultation in October–November 2026, with a final report due by 4 March 2027.
3- Is the CMA investigating individual dentists?
No. The CMA describes the work as a market study examining how the private dentistry market operates. Its launch announcement explicitly states that the study is not a criticism of clinicians or the care they provide.
4- Will private dental prices be capped?
There is currently no CMA national price cap for private dental treatment. The CMA is examining pricing and consumer information as part of its market study, but any future recommendations will depend on its findings.
5- Does the CMA review include cosmetic dentistry?
Yes. The market study includes preventative, clinically necessary and cosmetic private dental services.
6- Does the CMA review include NHS dentistry?
The study focuses on private dental services. However, the CMA says it will consider how NHS systems influence the private market, including consumer choices and treatment availability.
7- How many dental professionals responded to the CMA?
The CMA's July 2026 update reported 961 current or former dental professionals, comprising 929 current and 32 former professionals, alongside 1,825 consumers.
8- When will the CMA private dentistry report be published?
The statutory deadline for the CMA's final report is 4 March 2027, with publication planned for March 2027.
9- What should dental practices do while waiting for the final report?
Practices can review their existing processes for treatment information, pricing communication, patient communication and complaints handling. These are sensible practice-management reviews and should not be confused with new CMA requirements.
Conclusion
The CMA Private Dentistry Market Study 2026 is an important ongoing development for the UK private dental sector, but it is not yet possible to state what its final conclusions will be.
The CMA is examining how consumers access private dental services, compare treatment options, understand prices, choose providers and seek redress. It is also gathering evidence from dental professionals and independent practices to understand how the market operates from the provider side.
The next significant stage is the planned October–November 2026 consultation on the CMA's emerging thinking and possible remedies, followed by the final report due by 4 March 2027.
For dental practices, the practical focus should currently be on maintaining clear patient communication, transparent treatment information and robust internal processes while monitoring the CMA's published updates.
The key distinction is simple: the CMA is currently gathering and assessing evidence. Its final findings have not yet been published.
