1 in 4 Dentists Earn Over £100,000 Despite Decrease in Average Earnings
A quarter of dentists earn over £100,000, despite figures showing that the average income has fallen. Statistics from the NHS Information Centre also show that 310 dentists have a salary of over £310,000.
The latest figures show that the average taxable income for primary care dentist fell by 5.2% to £84,900 between 2008 and 2010. The decrease in earnings has been attributed to fewer patients attending regular dental checks and patients avoiding expensive treatments.
Dentists have blamed the decrease on the rising cost of overheads, with materials, metals and equipment costing more, due to the weakness of the pound. Regulation costs have also been attributed to the fall in average wages.
Dr John Milne, chairman of the British Dental Association, said that the latest figures confirm what the BDA has been telling the government for several years. He said that dentists have suffered a pay cut and are tired of dealing with bureaucracy and administration, instead of being left to focus on treating patients, which is what they have trained so hard to do.
The NHS Information Centre report was published on Tuesday and showed that the average wage among the 20,300 dentists working in England and Wales was £84,900. Dentists with Personal Dental Services contract had the highest earnings, with an average wage of £106,900. The majority of dentists earned less that £75,000 but a quarter of dentists earned more than £100,000.
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