21 Scottish dentists earn more than £300,000 per year
Figures have revealed that 21 Scottish dentists earned more than £300,000 treating NHS patients last year.
The average wage for an NHS dentist was just under £90,000 last year; however, 21 earned more than £300,000 and 20 earned between £250,000 and £300,000.
Some politicians from the opposition have criticised the wages and questioned NHS spending; however, dental experts in Scotland have been quick to point out that the figures do not account for tax reductions and some salaries also accounted for running costs, materials and equipment.
The figures do not include private earnings, which means that some dentists could have earned a lot more than recorded in the most recent figures. Next week, NHS officials will publish earnings based on tax returns, which will take both private and NHS work into account.
Andrew Lamb, from the British Dental Association in Scotland, said that many dentists had high running costs, which amounted to half their salary. He also claimed that those earning the very highest salaries were likely to be specialists carrying out extremely complex procedures.
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