Dental check-ups rise to £12

Dentists will soon be drilling deeper holes into people's pockets as the cost of an NHS check-up more than doubles.

Reforms will end the "drill-andfill" philosophy of the last 50 years and place more emphasis on preventative care, replacing five-minute check-ups at the dentist with 25-minute oral hygiene sessions, raising the average £5 cost to £12.

The new system, which will be implemented in April 2004, is aimed at reducing unnecessary treatment and stemming the flow of dentists from the NHS to the private sector.

Under the new system, dentists will be paid a salary depending on the number of registered patients they have instead of the treatment they administer.