General Dental Services for Northern Ireland: Annual Statistics 2025/26

General Dental Services for Northern Ireland: Annual Statistics 2025/26

An Accredited Official Statistics Publication
Published by: BSO Family Practitioner Services Information Unit

Contact: Jennifer McCrea
Telephone: 028 9536 3691
Email: Jennifer.McCrea@hscni.net

Theme: Dental Services
Coverage: Northern Ireland
Frequency: Annual

Publication date: 18 June 2026

Key Facts

• There were 351 dental practices & 1,180 dentists equating to 61 dentists per 100,000 NI residents in March 2026.

•The number of registered patients is 95,000 (9%) lower than in 2025, meaning just under half (49%) of the population were registered with a Health Service dentist, with 67% of children registered and 44% of adults registered in March 2026.

• In the 18–44 age group 48% of females were registered with a dentist but only 37% of males.

• 94% of the population live within five miles of a dental practice.

• Approximately 553,000 examinations were performed on adults, a decrease of 4% compared to 2024/25.

• 213 per 1,000 registered children were treated for a filling, crown or extraction, remaining relatively similar (+0.5%) compared to 2024/25.

• The gross cost of dental services was £134.4 million. Financial support payments (including Covid-19) made up £0.6 million of this, remaining relatively similar (-0.3%) compared to 2024/25. Patient contributions decreased from £22.7 million in 2024/25 to £22.2 million.

• Belfast LGD accounts for just under one-quarter (24%) of the net cost of dental services.

• Average cost per registered patient was £118.70 across Northern Ireland, an increase of 11% on the previous year.

Annual Series Tables

Download the annual general dental statistics by clicking on the button below.

The annual series tables presents information on dental activity carried out by general dental practitioners in Northern Ireland. It details information on the number of general dental practitioners and dental practices in Northern Ireland, along with the number of registered patients and the treatments carried out and submitted to BSO for payment. The overall cost of providing dental services is given along with average costs across Local Commissioning Groups and Local Government Districts.

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Annual data: 366KB

Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR)

Download the annual SDR statistics for children and adults by clicking on the respective buttons below.

The annual SDR children and adult tables detail information on the number of claims, patients and treatment items by their individual item of service codes. Children are those under 18 at the start of the treatment, while adults are those 18 and over. This covers the period 2015/16 to 2025/26.

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SDR Children: 141KB

SDR Adults: 153KB

Supplementary Information

Download the supplementary dental information by clicking on the button below.

The supplementary tables presents information on dental registrations and treatments (Fillings, Crowns, Extractions, X-Rays and Orthodontic patients) in Northern Ireland. This is broken down by Financial Year, Local Commissioning Group/Local Government District, Gender and Age Group.

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Supplementary: 1,362KB

1. Workforce

FPS Dental Services are responsible for the monthly payments to primary care General Dental Practitioners (dentists) for health service treatment provided, the maintenance of the list of patients registered with dentists, examination of patients at centres throughout NI and maintenance of the statutory Dental List. This section of the report provides details of the workforce recorded on this list. All count figures are a headcount and a snapshot as at 31st March 2026, they will not reflect any change in hours worked.

1.1 Dental Practitioners

In Northern Ireland, there were 351 dental practices with 1,180 dentists registered to carry out health service treatments at the end of March 2026. The number of dentists registered has increased by 9% over the last decade from 1,081 in 2016 to 1,180 in 2026. There was a decrease of 2% on the previous year though, the first reduction in numbers since 2021 (see Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1: Number of dentists as at 31st March, 2016-2026. See Annex Table 1.01

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As it is only part of the overall picture in relation to dental workforce in Northern Ireland, care should be taken when interpreting these figures particularly as it does not reflect hours worked in relation to health service dentistry. Further information on the earnings and expenses of self-employed primary care dentists who undertook some NHS/Health Service work during the financial year can be found on NHS England Dental Earnings and Expenses Estimates Series. Figures within it relate to both NHS/Health Service and private dentistry and are shown for full-time and part-time dentists. In addition, the General Dental Council (GDC), the UK regulator for dental professionals, and whom all dental professionals who wish to practice dentistry in the UK are legally required to register with, as part of the annual renewal, survey dental professionals about aspects of the dental care they are currently delivering. This survey covers subjects like the dental setting they are working in, the hours spent delivering dental care each week, whether they are delivering NHS or private care and their working location in the UK. This analysis and key highlights, including NI-specific breakdowns, can be found on the Dental professionals’ working patterns data website.

1.2 Dental Practitioners by Age and Gender

Dentistry was previously a male dominated profession up until 2012 but that has changed markedly since. In particular, the majority of new dentists are female, with 76% of dentists aged under 35 being female while the reverse is true in the older age groups with 58% of dentists aged 50 and above being male (see Figure 1.2). Naturally with this pattern, there has been a shift in the overall makeup of the workforce and over the last 10 years, the number of female dentists has exceeded males, with 62% of the workforce now being female in 2026 compared to 53% in 2016.

There are 316 dentists (27% of the workforce) aged 50 and over in 2026 compared to 233 (22% of the workforce) in 2016. There are 356 under the age of 35 in 2026, 30% of dentists.

Figure 1.2: Number of dentists by age and gender as at 31st March 2026. See Annex Table 1.01

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1.3 Dental Practitioners by Area

In Northern Ireland, there are 61 dentists per 100,000 residents. Over time, this proportion has increased – there were 58 dentists per 100,000 population in 2016. See Annex Tables 1.06 & 1.07.

Belfast Local Government District (LGD) has the most dentists per capita; having 72 dentists per 100,000 resident population compared to the lowest area, Lisburn and Castlereagh with 48 dentists per 100,000 population (see Figure 1.3). This may not equate to differences in workload as dentists will treat patients who live outside the council area population and, as previously stated, figures are headcount so do not reflect differences in health service working hours.

Figure 1.3: Number of dentist practitioners per 100,000 resident population by LGD, 2026. See Annex Table 1.07

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1.4 Dental Practices

There were 351 dental practices carrying out health service dental work across the region in 2026. Since 2016, the number of practices has decreased by 29 (-8%), while the number of dentists has increased by 9% during this time. In March 2026, there were an average of 3.4 dentists per practice, compared with 2.8 in 2016.

Belfast LGD has the most dental practices accounting for 23% of the service available in Northern Ireland. Belfast LGD also has 22.4 practices per 100,000 resident population, well above the NI average of 18.2. Antrim and Newtownabbey LGD have the lowest number of practices per 100,000 resident population at just 12.8 (see Figure 1.4).

Figure 1.4: Number of Dental practices per 100,000 population, by Local Government District, 2026. See Annex Table 1.03

Local Government District	Practices per 100,000 resident population
Antrim and Newtownabbey	12.8
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon	14.4
Mid Ulster	15.7
Lisburn and Castlereagh	15.8
Derry City and Strabane	17.1
Ards and North Down	17.5
Causeway Coast and Glens	17.6
Mid and East Antrim	20.0
Fermanagh and Omagh	21.2
Newry, Mourne and Down	21.8
Belfast	22.4
Northern Ireland	18.2

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1.5 Distance to Nearest Dentist

At Northern Ireland level, 94% of the population live within five miles [note 1] of a dental practice. In the more urban LGDs (Belfast, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Lisburn & Castlereagh and Ards & North Down), at least 88% of the population is within three miles of a dental practice with that figure dropping significantly in some of the more rural areas, particularly Fermanagh and Omagh LGD with just 53% living within that range (See Figure 1.5 & Annex Tables 1.04 & 1.05). Note that proximity to dental services is not the same as access, which can vary by practice.

Figure 1.5: Interactive chart [note 2] on the distance to nearest dental practice in miles by Small Area with LCG Boundaries, 2025/26. See Annex Tables 1.05.

Note 1:

Distances are calculated as a straight line distance between the postcode of the dental practice and the postcode of the patient.

Note 2:

Click on image to open interactive map through web browser, alternatively use following link: Interactive chart on distance to nearest dental practice map

2. Dental Registrations

This section of the report provides details on the number of patients registered with a practising health service dentist. Patients registered with a private dentist are not included in this data. All count figures are a snapshot of registrations paid in March of each year.

2.1 Dental Registrations Summary

Just under half (49%) of the Northern Ireland population are registered with a practising health service dentist. Children are more likely to be registered with a health service dentist than adults (67% compared to 44%).

The percentage of the population registered with a dentist remained stable at around 64% between 2014 and 2020, increasing to 70% by 2023, however by 2026 this had fallen markedly, by 21 percentage points, to 49%. Current registration rates are now comparable to 2009 levels.

Once registered with a dentist, the patient will remain on their dental list for two years unless they visit another dentist. If they do not attend during that 24-month period they may become deregistered. The registration period before deregistration was 15 months up until August 2009 before it increased to 24 months. As a result, the percentage of the total population registered increased markedly between 2010 and 2012 before growing much more gradually to 2014 then plateauing until 2020.

Increases in the following three years, coinciding with registration extensions during the pandemic (For full details on these registration extensions see Publication Notes), have ceased with a decrease of 5 percentage points in the registration rate observed in 2026 compared to 2025 (see Figure 2.1). The increase since 2020 was initially driven by an increase in adult registrations, whereas child registrations decreased during the pandemic. Registrations peaked at historically high levels in 2023, however in the last three years child and adult registrations have decreased with a particularly large drop seen during the 2024/25 financial year.

It is important to note that the Enhanced Children’s Examination (ECE) Scheme ran from 1st January 2023 to 30th June 2023 as a dedicated scheme to improve access to dental care for unregistered patients aged 0-10 years. The aim was to address the decrease in registration levels for young children over the previous three years. This scheme was re-introduced from the 10th June 2024, in order to encourage early registration with a dentist, and in doing so provide an opportunity for early preventive interventions. Readers should therefore be mindful of this when interpreting the figures over this time period and comparing to 2019/20.

Figure 2.1: Percentage of the population registered with a health service dentist, 2004 to 2026. See Annex Table 1.08.

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2.2 Dental Registrations by Area

Looking across Northern Ireland, registrations for children (those under 18) for all LGDs were at least 59%, with a high of 72% registered in Lisburn and Castlereagh and Newry, Mourne and Down LGDs. By contrast, for adults, the percentage of the population registered had a high of 52% in Causeway Coast and Glens LGD, well ahead of the Northern Ireland average of 44%. Interestingly, Fermanagh & Omagh LGD, despite having a registration rate of 70% for children, above the regional average at 67%, had by far the lowest adult registration rate at 30%, 13 percentage points below the Northern Ireland average. Variation in registration rates across areas will be partly attributable to geographical accessibility, practice policy with respect to taking on new Health Service patients and/or differential rates of private dental uptake (see Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2: Interactive chart [note 3] on the percentage of the population registered with a health service dentist by Super Output Areas with LGD Boundaries, 2026. See Annex Table 1.11.

Note 3:

Click on image to open interactive map through web browser, alternatively use following link: Interactive chart on percentage of the population registered with a dentist by SOA map.

2.3 Registrations by Age and Gender

Females are more likely to be registered with a dentist than males (52% compared to 46%), this difference is particularly striking in the 18-44 age group with 48% of females registered compared to just 37% of males. Differences in registration rates between the genders are much smaller for those under 18 or those aged 60 and over (see Figure 2.3).

Figure 2.3: Percentage of the population registered with a health service dentist by age group and gender, 2026. See Annex Table 1.09.

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During the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 fewer young children (0-4 years old) were being brought to the dentist, particularly those going for the first time. Since last year, the registration rates of the 5-12, 13-17, 18-44, 45-59, 60-74 and 75+ age groups have decreased, while the 0-4 age group has been maintained..

2.4 Dental Registrations by Deprivation

Data is analysed using Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) population-weighted deciles, in which 1 represents the most deprived areas and 10 represents the least deprived areas. Note that NIMDM is based on the postcode of where the patient lives and not the individual circumstances of the patient.

Looking at the number of patients registered in 2026, there are noticeable differences across patients living in the most and least deprived areas (see Figure 2.4).

For children, the proportion of the population registered with a dentist in March 2026 broadly increases as deprivation decreases, from 55% registered in NIMDM decile 1 to 73% for NIMDM decile 10. Since 2019/20, the gap in registration rates between the least and most deprived areas had been steady at 14 or 15 percentage points. However in 2025/26 this has now increased to an 18 percentage point gap.

For adults, there is a similar pattern with a fairly consistent, but less steep, rise from 36% registered in NIMDM decile 1 to 42% in NIMDM decile 8 but which then drops off to 39% in the least deprived decile 10, possibly due to increased use of private dentists. Note registration information, and hence this analysis, is only available in respect of those registered with a health service dentist and excludes private dentistry. All children are entitled to free health service treatments but only certain groups of adults qualify for treatment based on being in receipt of particular ‘passport’ benefits (see Publication Notes for further details on entitlement). For adults this means an increased entitlement for free dental treatment in the lower NIMDM deciles and, consequently, a likely lower use of private dentistry.

Figure 2.4: Percentage of patients registered by NIMDM [note 4], 2026. See Annex Table 1.13.

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Note 4:

1 is the most deprived and 10 is the least deprived

3. Dental Treatments

This section of the report provides details on the dental treatments received by children and adults. Dentists who register patients under the age of 18 receive a basic monthly capitation fee for the care and treatment of patients. This fee is for “… the care and treatment necessary to secure and maintain oral health” and covers examinations, x-rays, scale & polish and some other ‘minor’ SDR treatments. Most other treatment fees are however claimable and payable in addition. The same does not apply to adults with dentists required to claim for each treatment carried out on patients aged 18 and over.

It is important to note that any analysis here relates solely to primary dental care and will be driven by a range of factors including oral health status, changes in dentistry protocols, and switches between treatments being carried out in a primary versus secondary care setting. In particular, it is important to note children who have extractions carried out in hospital under general anesthetic are not included in these figures.

3.1 General Dental Services Treatments

The number of dental treatment claims submitted and paid by BSO in 2025/26 decreased by 5% from last year. Patients seen decreased by 4% compared to 2024/25, children remained relatively similar (+0.3%) and adults decreased by 6%.

Figure 3.1 shows the number of patients seen, claims and treatment claims over the last 7 years and compares them to the levels seen in 2019/20 (pre-pandemic).

Figure 3.1: Patients seen, claims and treatment claims by Financial Year 2019/20 – 2025/26 - See Annex Tables 1.14 and 1.24

Financial Year	Patients	Patients (% Compared to 2019/20)	Claims	Claims (% Compared to 2019/20)	Treatment Claims	Treatment Claims (% Compared to 2019/20)
2019/20	1,046,478		1,825,754		1,437,442
2020/21	430,217	41%	587,191	32%	450,951	31%
2021/22	621,085	59%	903,022	49%	700,613	49%
2022/23	802,856	77%	1,228,244	67%	961,529	67%
2023/24	821,815	79%	1,294,064	71%	1,004,740	70%
2024/25	831,574	79%	1,323,852	73%	1,011,567	70%
2025/26	795,200	76%	1,269,059	70%	962,716	67%

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After large decreases due to pandemic restrictions, patients seen, claims and treatment claims stabilized in 2023/24 and 2024/25 but have seen a further decrease in the latest year. Patients seen, claims and treatment claims have not returned to 2019/20 levels of activity. Figure 3.2 shows the number of treatment claims each month over 2019/20 and the last two financial years. Similar trends are visible in the number of patients seen and claims submitted and paid for by BSO.

Figure 3.2: Treatment claims in 2019/20, 2024/25 and 2025/26 - See Annex Table 1.24

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3.2 Dental Treatments on Children

Approximately 100,000 children received dental treatment in excess of the basic treatments covered under capitation, remaining relatively similar (-0.2%) compared to last year. You can see the changes in the rates of some of the common groups of treatments since 2016/17 in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3: Percentage of Registered Children Who Received At Least One Of The Following Treatments: Filling, Extraction, X-Ray [note 5] [note 6], Ortho, 2016/17 - 2025/26. See Annex Table 1.16.

	Percentage of Registered Children Who Received At Least One Of The Following Treatments
Financial Year	Filling (%)	Extraction (%)	X-Ray (%)	Ortho (%)
2016/17	23.3	5.7	5.6	8.6
2017/18	22.1	5.4	5.3	7.8
2018/19	22.1	5.2	5.2	7.5
2019/20	21.0	5.2	5.1	7.4
2020/21	6.6	2.8	2.4	5.4
2021/22	12.0	4.2	3.6	6.5
2022/23	16.6	4.8	4.3	6.6
2023/24	16.1	4.9	4.6	6.6
2024/25	17.7	5.3	5.7	8.0
2025/26	17.8	5.2	6.1	8.3

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Note 5:

Fillings, Extractions and Ortho treatments are not covered under the basic treatments covered under capitation fees. X-rays are primarily covered under these fees therefore figures presented here only include those in excess of the basic treatments covered under capitation fees.

Note 6:

For some patients, because of their age or special needs, they are unable to undergo routine dental care such as extractions or fillings in the usual way and they may need to have a General Anaesthetic (GA) to receive their dental care. Extractions or fillings in these cases will be carried out under GA in the HSC Trust Community Dental Services across Northern Ireland. Extractions performed under GA in Community Dental Services can be for tooth decay, trauma, supernumerary teeth, impeded eruption and tooth structure defects such as Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation. It is important to note children who have extractions or fillings carried out in hospital under GA are not included in these figures. These figures can be found as part of the DoH Hospital Episode Statistics.

There were 134,379 treatment claims, in excess of the basic treatments covered under capitation, a decrease of 2% on last year (137,452). Breaking this down further into individual SDR IOS treatments, Figure 3.4 shows the top 10 most common type of SDR IOS treatments claimed that were carried out on children in 2025/26. The most common SDR item claimed was for Colour Photographs (SDR code 0301), totalling 22,110 claims. Colour Photographs were included on 16% of all claims for children, compared to 2024/25 this proportion similar to the previous year. The proportions of the most common claims have remained relatively consistent from the last financial year. Full details on counts of claims, children and teeth/items for each SDR IOS item can be found here.

To note, not all SDR IOS are claimable for children as some are included within their registration fee. As a result, data published will undercount the ‘true’ level of treatment for children. Therefore, caution should be taken when comparing between categories.

Figure 3.4: Top 10 most common SDR IOS Treatments on Children - Percentage of all Claims with Item; 2026. See SDR Items of Service Claims by item number - Children.

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3.3 Orthodontic Treatment on Children

There were 24,269 children who had orthodontic treatments carried out in 2025/26, remaining relatively similar (-0.1%) compared to 2024/25. The number of children who had an orthodontic treatment carried out declined gradually from 2014/15 to 2019/20 (see Figure 3.5). This was following a change introduced on 1st April 2014 whereby only patients with an Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) score of 3.6 or higher would be eligible for health service orthodontic treatment. There was a delay in the impact of this change being reflected in the numbers due to the nature of orthodontic work, which can take several years to complete. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of children treated decreased further in 2020/21 before recovering somewhat over the subsequent years to approximately 24,000 children being treated (See Annex Tables 1.16 & additional supplementary information on registrations and treatments).

Figure 3.5: Number of Children who had an Orthodontic treatment paid per Financial Year; 2013/14 - 2025/26. See Ortho supplementary information.

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3.4 Dental Treatments on Children by Area

At a Northern Ireland level, 213 per 1,000 registered children were treated for a filling, crown or extraction in 2025/26. This is a slight increase from 212 per 1,000 registered children last year. At LGD level, Ards and North Down had the lowest rate at 176 per 1,000 registered children with Derry City and Strabane having the highest rate at 249 per 1,000 (see Figure 3.6 and Annex Tables 1.18 & 1.19). The change in the proportion of registered children being treated compared to last year ranged from +5% in Fermanagh and Omagh LGD, to -5% in Antrim and Newtownabbey LGD. Readers should be aware that the number of children registered will affect the figures presented in this section, particularly given the significant drop in registrations apparent in the most recent years.

Figure 3.6: Interactive chart [note 7] on the number of individual children who received a filling, extraction or crown per 1,000 registered in 2025/26 by Super Output Area with LGD Boundaries. See Annex Table 1.19.

Note 7:

Click on image to open interactive map through web browser, alternatively use following link: Interactive number of individual children who received a filling, extraction or crown per 1,000 registered by SOA map.

3.5 Dental Treatments on Adults

Approximately 523,000 adults were seen for treatment in 2025/26, a decrease of 6% from 2024/25. The proportion of registered adult patients having fillings remained stable, while the proportions having extractions and x-rays increased and the proportion having crowns decreased, as can be seen in Figure 3.7.

Figure 3.7: Percentage of Registered Adults Who Received At Least One Of The Following Treatments, Filling, Extraction [note 8], X-Ray, Crown, 2016/17 - 2025/26. See Annex Table 1.16.

	Percentage of Registered Adults Who Received At Least One Of The Following Treatments
Financial Year	Filling (%)	Extraction (%)	X-Ray (%)	Crown (%)
2016/17	37.3	9.7	36.9	3.4
2017/18	36.3	9.6	37.4	3.3
2018/19	35.8	9.7	38.2	3.2
2019/20	34.4	9.3	37.9	2.9
2020/21	11.6	5.6	15.1	0.7
2021/22	18.4	7.0	24.2	1.1
2022/23	23.3	7.4	30.9	1.5
2023/24	23.2	7.1	28.7	1.4
2024/25	28.3	8.7	37.3	1.7
2025/26	28.3	9.0	38.7	1.6

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Note 8:

Following a review of the treatment codes for extractions in 2023/24, codes 2211 (Fraenectomy) and 2221 (Other oral surgery and more complex operations justifying higher fees) are not included within these figures. Figures for all years have been updated to reflect this change. See Annex Tables for more information.

In 2025/26, there were 823,301 treatment claims, a decrease of 5% compared to last year. Breaking this down further into individual SDR IOS treatments, Figure 3.8 shows the top 10 most common type of SDR IOS treatments claimed that were carried out on adults in 2025/26. The most common SDR item claimed was for Examination And Report (SDR code 0101), totalling 553,475 claims (on 67% of all claims). These were carried out on approximately 429,000 adults. Full details on counts of claims, adults and teeth/items for each SDR IOS item can be found here.

Figure 3.8: Top 10 most common SDR IOS Treatments on Adults - Percentage of Claims with Item; 2025/26 (each claim may have multiple treatments). See SDR Items of Service Claims by item number - Adults.

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3.6 Dental Treatments on Adults by Area

At a Northern Ireland level, 340 per 1,000 registered adults were treated for a filling, crown or extraction in 2025/26. This was only 1% higher than the equivalent rate in 2024/25. At LGD level, Lisburn and Castlereagh had the lowest rate at 299 per 1,000, while Derry City and Strabane had the highest rate at 398 per 1,000 (see Figure 3.9 and Annex Tables 1.18 & 1.19). The change in the proportion of registered adults being treated compared to last year ranged from +7% in Newry, Mourne and Down LGD, to -6% in Lisburn and Castlereagh LGD. Readers should be aware that the number of adults registered will affect the figures presented in this section, particularly given the significant drop in registrations apparent in the most recent year.

Figure 3.9: Interactive chart [note 9] on the number of individual adults who received a filling, extraction or crown per 1000 registered in 2025/26 by Super Output Area with LGD Boundaries. See Annex Table 1.19.

Note 9:

Click on image to open interactive map through web browser, alternatively use following link: Interactive number of individual adults who received a filling, extraction or crown per 1,000 registered by SOA map.

3.7 Dental Treatments by Exemption

Health service dentistry is available free to certain groups. You are entitled to free or reduced cost treatment if you:

• Are included in an award for Income Support
• Are included in an award for Income-related Employment and Support allowance
• Are included in an award for Income-based Jobseeker’s allowance
• Are included in an award for Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Are included in an award for Universal Credit (subject to earnings threshold)
• Are entitled to or named on a valid NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate
• Are named on a valid HC2 Certificate
• Are named on a valid HC3 Certificate (offering partial assistance with charges)
• Are under 18 years of age
• Are aged 18 and in full time education
• Are pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months and hold a charge exemption certificate

The numbers of patients seen decreased by 4% in 2025/26 (795,200) compared to 2024/25 (831,574). The biggest increase compared to 2024/25 was seen in “Full remission - HC2 cert” (36%) and the biggest decrease was seen in “Tax credit exemption certificate” (-61%). This change in trend is mainly attributable due to the Universal Credit implementation phase which started in October 2023 and initially focused on moving claimants who had Tax Credit exemptions onto Universal Credit. This migration from Tax Credits to Universal Credit finished at the end of April 2025. Subsequently the migration of those in receipt of Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (Income based) and Employment and Support Allowance (Income related) started during 2025 with the aim to complete the migration by summer 2026.

Previously, those in receipt of Universal Credit were only eligible for free dental treatment in conjunction with a valid HC2 certificate which is provided through the NHS Low Income Scheme to cover the full cost of health services and as such were recorded under the HC2 exemption. However, from 1st December 2025, those in receipt of Universal Credit (subject to earnings threshold) are now eligible to free dental treatment and thus recorded under the Universal Credit exemption.

Exempt patients make up 49% of the patients seen by health service dentists but account for 56% of treatment fees. Patients under 18 make up 64% of the exempt patients seen, with an average treatment cost of £79.70 per patient compared to £71.10 per patient in 2024/25. Overall, average treatment fees are at £84.20 per patient, an increase of 6% on last year, and surpassing £71.40 per patient, the average of the last 3 pre-pandemic years.

Figure 3.10: Patients seen by exemption category and financial year. See Annex Table 1.15.

	Patients Seen
Exemption	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	2025/26
Aged 18 in full-time education	6,569	9,683	10,738	11,585	12,135
Expectant mother	6,993	8,848	8,642	7,740	7,214
Full remission - HC2 cert	6,857	11,049	15,158	21,141	28,759
Income based jobseekers allowance	10,455	11,656	10,176	9,076	7,110
Income support	47,412	56,168	54,615	51,911	44,517
Nursing mother	9,567	12,483	11,908	11,379	10,060
Partial remission - HC3 cert	905	1,300	1,481	1,932	2,226
Patient under 18	179,918	242,382	252,647	266,854	267,651
Pension credit guarantee credit	17,161	20,914	21,247	21,458	21,075
Tax credit exemption certificate	30,176	33,907	29,152	21,682	8,451
Universal Credit	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	5,954
Fee paying	318,745	416,448	429,483	431,649	408,593
Total	621,085	802,856	821,815	831,574	795,200

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4. Dental Services UK Comparison

This section of the report details activity on the number of teeth filled, teeth extracted and teeth crowned per 100,000 population per UK region. The latest comparable information for all regions is 2024/25. However, users should be aware that on the 1 November 2023, the Scottish Government implemented an NHS dental payment reform. As part of the reform, a new Determination I of the SDR was introduced. Figures for Scotland in 2023/24 and 2024/25 are therefore a count of treatments from both the old and new payment systems.

It should be noted that Northern Ireland patients are registered for 24 months, Scotland has lifetime registration while England and Wales do not have registered patients. In the absence of a consistent registered population base in each country, total population has instead been used to provide a context to the figures. However, because of differences in accessibility to health service dentistry that are known to exist between countries, the figures presented do not provide a directly comparable measure of oral health levels. Comparisons of the regional trends over time are of greater relevance in this regard. Due to different contractual arrangements in the UK regions, care should be taken when comparing rates.

For comparative oral health information, the Dental Health Surveys carried out for both Children and Adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are accessible at the following links: Child Dental Health Survey, England, Wales & Northern Ireland, Adult Dental Health Survey - Summary report and thematic series. Previously these have typically run every 10 years - the last Children’s survey was carried out in 2013 and the last Adults’ survey in 2009.

4.1 Fillings

In 2024/25 the number of teeth filled by health service dentists [note 10] per 100,000 population in Northern Ireland decreased by 8% from 2023/24. For England the number of teeth filled per 100,000 population remained relatively similar (-0.1%), for Wales it decreased by 7%, and Scotland increased by 8% compared to 2023/24. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland filled more teeth (31,070) per 100,000 population than England (21,653), Wales (14,430) and Scotland (30,286). This represents 43% more than England, 115% more than Wales and 3% more than Scotland. Between 2014/15 and 2024/25, Northern Ireland consistently had the highest filling rate in the UK although there was a notable 42% decrease in the number of teeth filled in Northern Ireland per 100,000 population over that time. In the same period, England, Wales and Scotland saw percentage changes of -21%, -48% and -33% respectively (see Figures 4.1 & 4.2 and Annex Table 1.17).

The Northern Ireland filling rate for children decreased slightly by 1% between 2023/24 and 2024/25 compared with changes of +6% in England, -1% in Wales and +52% in Scotland. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland filled more teeth in children (31,054) per 100,000 population than Wales (15,477), but less than England (32,931) and Scotland (33,605). This represents 6% less than England, 101% more than Wales and 8% less than Scotland.

For adults, the number of teeth filled per 100,000 population in Northern Ireland decreased by 10% between 2023/24 and 2024/25. This compares with changes of -3% in England, -9% in Wales and +0.3% in Scotland. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland filled more teeth in adults (31,074) per 100,000 population than England (18,694), Wales (14,176) and Scotland (29,539). This represents 66% more than England, 119% more than Wales and 5% more than Scotland.

Figure 4.1: Number of teeth filled by health service dentists per 100,000 population by UK regions: 2014/15 - 2024/25.

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Figure 4.2: Number of teeth filled by health service dentists per 100,000 population by UK regions and Children/ Adults: 2024/25.

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Note 10:

Analysis only includes work carried out by primary care dentists.

4.2 Extractions

In 2024/25 the number of teeth extracted by health service dentists [note 11] per 100,000 population in Northern Ireland decreased by 5% from 2023/24. For England the number of teeth extracted per 100,000 population decreased slightly by 1%, for Wales it decreased by 10%, and Scotland increased by 13% compared to 2023/24. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland extracted more teeth (6,776) per 100,000 population than England (5,698) and Wales (6,486), but less than Scotland (10,523). This represents 19% more than England, 4% more than Wales and 36% less than Scotland. Between 2014/15 and 2024/25, there was a 26% decrease in the number of teeth extracted in Northern Ireland per 100,000 population. In the same period, England, Wales and Scotland saw percentage changes of -24%, -15% and +7% respectively (see Figures 4.3 & 4.4 and Annex Table 1.17).

The Northern Ireland extraction rate for children remained relatively similar (+0.3%) between 2023/24 and 2024/25 compared with changes of -0.1% in England, -10% in Wales and +21% in Scotland. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland extracted less teeth in children (6,497) per 100,000 population than England (7,360), Wales (6,794) and Scotland (11,024). This represents 12% less than England, 4% less than Wales and 41% less than Scotland.

For adults, the number of teeth extracted per 100,000 population in Northern Ireland decreased by 6% between 2023/24 and 2024/25. This compares with changes of -2% in England, -10% in Wales and +11% in Scotland. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland extracted more teeth in adults (6,858) per 100,000 population than England (5,262) and Wales (6,412), but less than Scotland (10,411). This represents 30% more than England, 7% more than Wales and 34% less than Scotland.

Figure 4.3: Number of teeth extracted by health service dentists per 100,000 population by UK regions: 2014/15 - 2024/25.

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Figure 4.4: Number of teeth extracted by health service dentists per 100,000 population by UK regions and Children/ Adults: 2024/25.

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Note 11:

Analysis only includes work carried out by primary care dentists.

4.3 Crowns

In 2024/25 the number of teeth crowned by health service dentists [note 12] per 100,000 population in Northern Ireland decreased by 11% from 2023/24. For England the number of teeth crowned per 100,000 population decreased by 10%, for Wales it decreased by 19%, and Scotland increased by 45% compared to 2023/24. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland crowned more teeth (827) per 100,000 population than England (689) and Wales (361), but less than Scotland (1,593). This represents 20% more than England, 129% more than Wales and 48% less than Scotland. Between 2014/15 and 2024/25, there was a 58% decrease in the number of teeth crowned in Northern Ireland per 100,000 population. In the same period, England, Wales and Scotland saw percentage changes of -55%, -75% and -26% respectively (see Figures 4.5 & 4.6 and Annex Table 1.17).

The Northern Ireland crown rate for children increased by 6% between 2023/24 and 2024/25 compared with changes of +2% in England, +4% in Wales and +48% in Scotland. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland crowned less teeth in children (17) per 100,000 population than England (86), Wales (30) and Scotland (23). This represents 80% less than England, 42% less than Wales and 27% less than Scotland.

For adults, the number of teeth crowned per 100,000 population in Northern Ireland decreased by 11% between 2023/24 and 2024/25. This compares with changes of -10% in England, -20% in Wales and +45% in Scotland. In 2024/25, dentists in Northern Ireland crowned more teeth in adults (1,063) per 100,000 population than England (847) and Wales (441), but less than Scotland (1,946). This represents 26% more than England, 141% more than Wales and 45% less than Scotland.

Figure 4.5: Number of teeth crowned by health service dentists per 100,000 population by UK regions: 2014/15 - 2024/25.

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Figure 4.6: Number of teeth crowned by health service dentists per 100,000 population by UK regions and Children/ Adults: 2024/25.

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Note 12:

Analysis only includes work carried out by primary care dentists.

5. Health Service Dental Service Costs

This section of the report details the cost of primary dental services in Northern Ireland. It is based on General Dental Services payments as processed by the BSO during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

5.1 Dental Services Cost Summary

In the 2025/26 financial year, the net cost of primary care dental services in Northern Ireland, not including additional financial support payments, was £111.6 million with an additional £22.2 million in patient contribution for treatments. The net cost increased slightly by 1% from last year (£110.5 million) with the patient contribution decreasing by 2% from last year (£22.7 million). The financial support payments [note 13] in 2025/26 were £0.6 million, remaining relatively similar (-0.3%) compared to 2024/25, bringing the total gross cost of services in 2025/26 to £134.4 million, remaining relatively similar (+0.5%) compared to the previous year (see Figure 5.1). Excluding patient payments, the cost in 2025/26 increased slightly by 1% from 2024/25.

Figure 5.1: Payments made for Dental services, 2004/05 to 2025/26. See Annex Table 1.20.

Financial Year	Net Cost of Dental Service (£ Millions)	Patient Payments (£ Millions)	Financial Support (Including Covid-19) Payments (£ Millions)	Total Costs of Dental Services (£ Millions)
2004/05	58.1	16.8	n/a	74.9
2005/06	61.1	18.0	n/a	79.1
2006/07	65.3	16.4	n/a	81.7
2007/08	66.6	15.1	n/a	81.7
2008/09	74.8	16.1	n/a	90.9
2009/10	81.7	17.4	n/a	99.1
2010/11	87.7	17.4	n/a	105.1
2011/12	93.7	18.1	n/a	111.9
2012/13	97.7	19.4	n/a	117.1
2013/14	101.7	20.2	n/a	121.9
2014/15	101.6	20.9	n/a	122.5
2015/16	100.4	22.5	n/a	122.9
2016/17	97.8	23.6	n/a	121.4
2017/18	96.7	24.5	n/a	121.2
2018/19	99.5	25.6	n/a	125.1
2019/20	104.9	26.0	n/a	130.9
2020/21	72.7	7.1	51.9	131.7
2021/22	87.0	13.1	43.7	143.8
2022/23	100.0	20.4	13.0	133.4
2023/24	97.9	21.4	2.3	121.6
2024/25	110.5	22.7	0.6	133.7
2025/26	111.6	22.2	0.6	134.4

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Of the £112.2 million paid by BSO (excluding patient payments), 4% was made up of Dental Access Scheme (DAS) payments. The DAS service was launched on 1st August 2024 to improve access to health service dental care for unregistered dental patients, asylum seekers, and refugees who are experiencing an emergency, urgent, or pressing dental condition. The £4.1 million spent on DAS in 2025/26 relates solely to additional fee payments to practices who have entered into the scheme to provide this service and submitted weekly claims to SPPG through the appropriate claim form. Claims for payment for treatment provided (i.e. IoS fees) are submitted as normal to the BSO and are not part of this £4.1 million spend. As part of the verification process, SPPG validate the registration status of the patient prior to payment. In 2024/25, £1.5 million was made in DAS payments by BSO.

Based on supplementary information supplied by SPPG, approximately 9,900 claims to date have been submitted and paid to address an emergency/urgent dental need, and approximately 23,000 claims to address a pressing dental need in 2025/26. In 2024/25, approximately 5,300 claims have been submitted and paid to address an emergency/urgent dental need, compared to approximately 11,300 claims for a pressing dental need. It is important to note that the DAS activity in each financial year is not necessarily the same year in which the claim was paid.

Note 13:

Financial Support payments for 2025/26 include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and trainee block (a scheme introduced for trainee dentists to receive a top up payment with a block payment target set by SPPG) payments as well as PPE and Revenue Grant scheme recoveries. Financial Support (including Covid-19) payments over time have included Financial Support Scheme (FSS), Rebuilding Support Scheme (RSS), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fit testing, Urgent Dental Care Centres and extension on trainer and trainee payments.

5.2 Monthly Breakdown

Figure 5.2 below compares the Item of Service (IOS) treatment fees paid (including patient charges) for each of the last two years with the figures for 2019/20. Across the whole of 2025/26, on average treatment fees paid are at 90% of pre-pandemic levels, a slight increase of 1 percentage point on last year. The figures indicate a stabilisation in the last three financial years with activity claimed in the last three months being 91% of 2019/20 levels and increased by 2 percentage points when compared to 2024/25. Note these figures exclude Financial Support/Personal Protective Equipment payments.

Figure 5.2: Item of Service Treatment Fees Paid in 2024/25 and 2025/26 as a percentage of same month in 2019/20. See Annex Table 1.24.

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5.3 Local Commissioning Group Level [note 14]

To note the following includes financial support payments [note 13] in the net cost of service. The variation by Local Commissioning Group (LCG) is shown in Figure 5.3. In 2025/26, the cost to the health service was £112.2million, this only increased by 1% compared to 2024/25. The cost per registered patient has increased by 11% compared to 2024/25. At LCG level, the highest net cost is seen in Northern followed by Belfast, which account for 24.2% and 23.6% respectively of all spend in Northern Ireland. This is despite Belfast making up only 19% of the NI population. This is mainly due to the greater propensity of patients choosing to go to Belfast dentists, in combination with generally higher cost orthodontic referrals, rather than practices in their home area. Excluding the impact of changes in registration levels, Belfast LCG had the highest average spend (£71.40) per resident with South Eastern having the lowest (£44.30). Average spend per resident increased in Southern and Belfast LCGs changing by 2.2% and 1.8% respectively, and remained relatively similar in Northern, South Eastern and Western LCGs changing by 0.3%, -0.2% and -0.5% respectively.

Figure 5.3: Cost of Dental services by LCG, 2025/26.See Annex Table 1.21.

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Note 14:

When referring to cost, LCG is based on the location of the dental practice.

5.4 Local Government District Level [note 15]

At Local Government District (LGD) level, Belfast LGD accounts for 24% of the net cost of Dental Services, whilst Fermanagh and Omagh LGD accounts for just 4% of spend for Northern Ireland. Belfast LGD also has the highest cost per resident population at £76.20 compared to the Northern Ireland average of £58.20 (see Figure 5.4).

Figure 5.4: Health service dental spend per resident patient by Local Government District, 2025/26. See Annex Table 1.22.

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Note 15:

When referring to cost, LGD is based on the location of the dental practice.

5.5 GDS Fees [note 16]

In 2025/26, just over £102 million of GDS fees were paid, £3.2 million less than 2024/25. GDS Fees paid include Registration fees, Item of Service fees (including patient charges), Bulk Adjustments and, for 2025/26, Financial Support payments in the form of PPE and trainee block payments. GDS fees paid had increased each year since 2014/15 until 2019/20, with the largest increase between 2017/18 to 2018/19. Over time, there will have been increases made to the payments relating to the SDR IOS which will have an impact on the changes over time in the value of GDS fees paid reported. Excluding IOS and PPE, the remaining fees/allowances paid to dentists as part of the GDS Fees paid in 2025/26 amounted to £34.6 million. Further detail on the type of other payments received can be found in the Definitions section in Publication Notes.

To note, Bulk adjustments (including Arrears, Scale Addition Arrears, Treatment Adjustments, Advances, GDS Pilot Paid Treatments) have been authorised each year with the total ranging between a recovery of £50,000 in 2015/16 and additional payments amounting to £6.4 million in 2024/25. In 2025/26 Bulk adjustments amounted to £4.85 million. Due to the way the data is held on BSO’s payment system, it is not possible to establish if these payments relate to children or adult activity. PPE and trainee block payments were made in 2025/26 totalling £0.6 million, remaining relatively similar (-0.3%) compared to 2024/25 (See Annex Table 1.23). Due to the nature of how support payments are provided to dentists, it is not possible to proportion these out against children and adults. As a result, readers should be mindful of this when interpreting results in the following sections on Children (Capitation) Fees and Adult (Continuing Care) Fees.

Note 16:

GDS Fees paid include Registration fees, Item of Service fees (including patient charges), Bulk Adjustments and for 2020/21 and 2021/22 FSS and PPE payments, for 2022/23 and 2023/24 RSS and PPE payments and for 2024/25 and 2025/26 PPE payments. From November 2020, a scheme was introduced for trainee dentists to receive a top up payment with a block payment target set by SPPG. This is included within these figures and will continue into at least 2026/27.

5.5.1 Children (Capitation) Fees [note 17]

In 2025/26, £42.4 million in child GDS fees was paid (including registration fees and treatments carried out), an increase of 5% compared to 2024/25. The number of children registered and attending GDS rose by 5% between 2014/15 and 2019/20 before falling by 3% during 2020/21 and 2021/22. Even though all registrations that were due to expire between 2020/21 and 2022/23 were extended throughout these years due to the Covid-19 pandemic this can be explained largely due to children moving into the adult category, causing this decrease in registrations. The 2022/23 financial year saw registrations return to 2019/20 levels however there has been a drop in the number of children registered since with the latest year seeing a decrease of 3% compared to 2024/25. In contrast, there has been a rise of 55% in capitation registration payments between 2014/15 and 2025/26. In the same time-frame there has been an increase of 10% in SDR IOS payments for treatments carried out.

Continued increases in capitation fees per child registered has resulted in a decrease in child registration fees, with a slight decrease of 1% seen since 2024/25 [note 18]. SDR IOS payments for treatments for children increased by 12% over the same time-period. It is important to note that the Enhanced Children’s Examination (ECE) Scheme ran from January 2023 to June 2023 as a dedicated scheme to improve access to dental care for unregistered patients aged 0-10 years. This scheme was re-introduced from the 10th June 2024, in order to encourage early registration with a dentist, and in doing so provide an opportunity for early preventive interventions. Data relating to this scheme are included in the 2022/23 - 2025/26 registration fees. Dentists have received FSS/RSS and PPE payments during these years which cannot be proportioned out against children and adults (see Annex Table 1.23).

Looking at the cost per head of child population, this is £97.50 in 2025/26, up from £92.80 in 2024/25. This increased cost per head of population is due to an increase in IOS Fees paid that make up the child GDS Fees paid. These figures exceed the rates prior to 2020/21 which had remained fairly stable fluctuating between a low of £72.30 in 2017/18 and a high of £76.70 in 2014/15 (see Figure 5.5 and Annex Table 1.23).

Figure 5.5: Cost per head of population by Child/Adult, 2014/15 – 2025/26. See Annex Table 1.33.

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Note 17:

Child GDS fees include registrations fees and SDR Item of Service (IOS) fees. All children aged 18 and under are entitled to free dental treatment.

Note 18:

In 2024/25 (approx. £2.0m) and 2025/26 (approx. £2.2m), child registration fees include children and adult registration arrears payments. In other years these would have been included in adult registration fees. Due to the nature of how these payments are provided to dentists, it is not possible to proportion these out against children and adults. As a result, readers should be mindful of this when interpreting results.

Looking at the average IOS cost per treatment claim for a child, this was £165.60 in 2025/26, up by 14% from £145.10 in 2024/25. Prior to 2020/21, the average IOS cost per treatment claim ranged between £100.60 (2017/18) and £112.90 (2015/16). The higher level of average IOS cost per treatment claim for a child in the last number of years is likely attributable to Orthodontic treatments which have returned to pre-pandemic levels and these would tend to be higher value claims (see Figure 5.6).

Figure 5.6: Average IOS cost per treatment claim by Child/Adult, 2014/15 – 2025/26. See Annex Table 1.33

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5.5.2 Adult (Continuing Care) Fees [note 19]

In 2025/26, £54.3 million in adult GDS fees was paid (including registration fees and treatments carried out) a decrease of 6% compared to 2024/25 (£58.0 million). The number of adults registered continually rose between 2014/15 and 2022/23 to a high of 1,010,071. Since 2022/23 there has been a drop (35%) in the number of adults registered with the latest year seeing a decrease of 12% compared to 2024/25. Between 2014/15 and 2025/26, continuing care registration payments have increased by 10%, however SDR IOS fees in the same time period have seen a 12% decrease. This has resulted in a decrease of 9% in adult GDS fees paid since 2014/15. Compared to last year, adult registration payments have decreased by 18% [note 20], with SDR IOS payments decreasing by 3%, resulting in a 6% decrease in adult GDS fees paid.

Looking at the cost per head of adult population, this was £36.40 in 2025/26, down from £38.80 in 2024/25. Prior to that costs had increased by 9% from £42.40 in 2014/15 to £46.10 in 2019/20 (see Annex Table 1.23). The post pandemic years have seen lower cost per head of population due to the drop in the total GDS Fees, in particular IOS Fees and more recently the drop in registration payments (see Figure 5.4).

Looking at the average IOS cost per treatment claim for an adult, this was £54.30 in 2025/26, up by 2% from 2024/25. Prior to this, the average IOS cost per treatment claim had remained fairly stable up to 2019/20, fluctuating between a low of £44.70 in 2017/18 and a high of £47.80 in 2015/16 (see Figure 5.5).

Note 19:

Adult GDS fees paid include registrations fees and SDR Item of Service (IOS) fees (including patient charges).

Note 20:

In 2024/25 (approx. £2.0m) and 2025/26 (approx. £2.2m), adult registration fees does not include children and adult registration arrears payments. In other years these would have been included in adult registration fees. Due to the nature of how these payments are provided to dentists, it is not possible to proportion these out against children and adults. As a result, readers should be mindful of this when interpreting results.

About this Publication

This publication provides a statistical overview of general dental activity in Northern Ireland between April 2025 and March 2026. It is based on payment claims submitted by primary care dentists to Family Practitioner Services (FPS). This data does not cover private work or secondary care activity including work carried out by the Community Dental Service.

It has been produced by independent statisticians within the FPS Information Unit. They are on secondment from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). This publication has been compiled in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Further information about the work of FPS and the manner in which these statistics were produced can be found at the back of this publication.

This is an Accredited Official Statistics Publication

Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 – see here for further explanation of this terminology. These official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) in May 2022. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.

We have developed a series of statements to demonstrate how we meet the Code in our everyday work. These cover our independence, data quality procedures, how we make our statistics accessible whilst protecting your data, engage with you to meet your needs and, when things go wrong, how we make corrections or, should our services fall below the required standard, how you can make a complaint. All of this information is included in our Statistics Charter.

Since the assessment by OSR, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements this year:

• Annual Family Practitioner Services (FPS) General Dental Statistics publication excel Table 1.09: Percentage of population registered by gender, age and Financial Year now includes an All Persons breakdown.
• Quarterly Family Practitioner Services (FPS) General Dental Statistics publication now includes Registrations by Assembly Area in the excel output - Table 1.4.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR. They set the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards (contact the responsible statistician listed at beginning of this publication). Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website here.

User Engagement

Statisticians in the Information Unit are regularly in contact with key users of the statistics. While previously readership surveys alone were used to provide an overall assessment of whether user needs were being met, the current approach employed is to supplement the surveys with focused consultations with key users on a rolling basis. This approach helps to gain greater insight into how the statistics are used and to identify additional specific requirements. In addition, any ad-hoc requests for information are recorded centrally in a database and these records are used to provide intelligence from a wider set of users in relation to changing requirements. In March 2023 a pilot User Engagement showcase event was held to advise users of the current capabilities and future developments of the statistics and obtain feedback from users. An outline of future developments as a result of user engagement is provided in the General Dental Services Statistics User Engagement Action Plan.

Publication Notes

Family Practitioner Services

Family Practitioner Services (FPS) is part of the BSO’s Operations Directorate. It provides a range of essential services to Health and Social Care organisations, primary care contractors and patients.

FPS calculates payments to health professionals in the dental, pharmacy, general practice and ophthalmic sectors through Northern Ireland. It also maintains the central register of patients registered with GP practices in Northern Ireland, issuing medical cards and processing changes such as name, address and doctor.

It provides professional advice, support and information to customers and members of the public and maintains the pharmaceutical, dental and the Northern Ireland Primary Medical Performers lists. FPS also provides the call and recall services for cervical and bowel cancer screening in Northern Ireland.

About this publication

This report has been produced by independent statisticians within the FPS Information Unit. They are on secondment from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). This publication has been compiled in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. For tables relating to this report see the spreadsheets Annual Dental Statistics and SDR Items of Service Claims by item number – Children and SDR Items of Service Claims by item number - Adult.

Next edition

This publication is issued annually. It is expected that the next edition shall be published in June 2027. In the interim, quarterly tables are published separately here. The quarterly figures are provisional until the annual publication for that year issues, at which point they are finalised. The release calendar for future statistical publications is available on the BSO website.

Data Sources

Activity data on registrations and dental treatment claims are submitted via the FPPS Dental Portal which is used in the dental service payment process. Although Dental payment claims can be submitted through this, practices also submit claims via paper (HS45) or through the Electronic Data Input (EDI). The majority of submissions to BSO are via EDI.

All information is based on the data supplied by the dental practice at the time of the claim and only claims which are paid by BSO after validation are included.

Definitions

Dentists

The Family Practitioner Services (FPS) are responsible for the monthly payments to primary care General Dental Practitioners (dentists) for Health Service treatment provided and maintenance of the statutory Dental List. Dentists must be registered on the Dental List to carry out health service treatment but may also do private work, however FPS have no record of the proportion of private vs health service work or private patients or treatments. Further information on earnings and expenses of primary care dentists relating to both their Health Service and private dental work are published in the NHS England Dental Earnings and Expenses Estimates report. Dentists may also work in secondary care, but FPS do not hold any information on this. Dentists can move around different practices to work, there are no restrictions on staying in one practice and many work in multiple locations at the same time. For the purposes of this publication, dentists have been assigned to an area based on the amount of money they earn in each area they work.

Registration

Dentists are paid a monthly fee for each registered patient. These payments cease if the patient deregisters or registers with a different dentist. Patient registration payments lapse after a period of 24 months if the patient did not attend the dental practice. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all registrations that were due to expire during 2020/21 and 2022/23 were extended throughout these years. The first set of patients expired at the end of March 2023. In order to avoid the scenario where a large number of patient registrations lapse in one go, the GDS regulations were amended to add a specific number of months on to three patient registration cohorts, so that registrations are scheduled to lapse at the same rate as they would normally.

In addition, a Enhanced Children’s Examination (ECE) Scheme ran from 1st January 2023 to 30th June 2023 as a dedicated scheme to improve access to dental care for unregistered patients aged 0-10 years. The aim was to address the decrease in registration levels for young children following the pandemic. This scheme was re-introduced from the 10th June 2024, in order to encourage early registration with a dentist, and in doing so provide an opportunity for early preventive interventions.

Registration payments are based on the patient’s age, and can be weighted by home address as a proxy measure for deprivation which is closely associated with oral health need; and additionally whether or not they have certain special needs to remunerate for the additional time to provide care and treatment.

• Children (Capitation) – a basic monthly fee for the care and treatment of patients under the age of 18. This fee is for “… the care and treatment necessary to secure and maintain oral health” and covers examinations, x-rays, scale & polish and some other ‘minor’ SDR treatments. Most other treatment fees are however claimable and payable in addition.
• Adult (Continuing Care) – Is a monthly fee payable for “… the provision of continuing care …” to patients aged 18 years or over, and as such is more akin to a fee for maintaining a patient’s registration.

Statement of Dental Remuneration Items of Service (SDR IOS)

Dentists can provide a wide range of treatments to patients. The Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) lists all the items of service (i.e. individual care, special investigations, and treatments) that dentists can provide and claim payment for. Payments are made for individual treatments provided within a course of treatment. A dentist can submit a treatment for payment up to 6 months after the end date of the treatment. Therefore breakdown of treatments by financial year are based on the payment year and this is not necessarily the year it was carried out. A description of the main items of service can be found here.

To help maintain access for patients and to further support practitioners, Item of Service fees as detailed in the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) for extractions, fillings and root canal treatment were enhanced by 30% from 2024/25.

Claim

Claims are submitted for a number of reasons including treatments carried out, interim payments, registrations etc. Treatment claims, which are a subset of all claims are defined as having at least one Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) Item of Service (IoS) being claimed by the dentist, and can cover a single appointment or multiple appointments.

Number of Teeth

Count of individual teeth per visit based on SDR IOS codes. Based on paid treatments and information supplied by dentist making the claim. It excludes all private work and work carried out in hospitals. May include small number of duplicates.

Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontics is a specialist area of dentistry concerned with the growth and development of the teeth and jaws and the prevention and treatment of abnormalities of this development, therefore most patients are children. Treatment codes for Orthodontic are all 32 codes and codes between 5581 and 5591. Count is of individual patients that had an Orthodontic treatment paid per financial year. It is possible to get multiple Orthodontic treatments paid in one year but this is only counted once.

Dental charges eligibility

Under current guidelines at the time of publishing, the following groups are eligible for free dental treatment.

• Children aged under 18
• Students in full time education aged 18
• Anyone who is pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months
• Adults receiving Income Support
• Adults receiving income-based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Adults receiving Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  
• Adults receiving Pension Credits guarantee credit (PCGC)
• Adults receiving Universal Credit (Subject to earnings threshold)
• Adults receiving Tax Credits
• Patients holding an HC2 certificate
• Patients named on a valid HC3 Certificate (offering partial assistance with charges)

It should by borne in mind that people may qualify for free dental treatment on more than one criterion. However, they would only be recorded against one criterion on the dental claim.

HSCNI Payments for Dental Services

HSCNI payment towards Dental Services refers to the payments that FPS has processed on behalf of the Strategic Planning and Performance Group of the Department of Health (previously the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB)) towards the overall cost of Dental Services in Northern Ireland. The payments are based on the money which was paid out in a given year and this is not necessarily the cost of the service provided in that year. Payment figures are based on the annual assurance information supplied by the FPS to the SPPG for each financial year. Not all payments are made on the dental payment system, which is used for all the analysis in this report, additional payments can be made e.g. probity recoveries so it’s not possible to take the information directly from the payment system and assign to geographical areas in Northern Ireland. As such these off-system payments are now captured in a separate ‘Unknown’ row.

Patient Charges

If a patient is not entitled to free treatment or help with the treatment cost, they need to pay for some Health Service dental treatment. The charge is 80 per cent of the dentist’s fee up to £420. For example in 2025/26, a basic clinical examination, advice, charting and report per course of treatment, has a dentist fee of £10.95. If the person is not entitled to free treatment then the patient charge would be £8.76 and the Health Service would pay the remaining £2.19.

GDS Fees

Dentists are paid fees for each registered patient and for treatments provided. For the purposes of this publication:

GDS Fees received by dentist = SDR IOS earnings + capitation registration payments + continuing care registration payments + bulk adjustments (i.e. recoveries or underpayments in relation to registrations or IOS) + FSS/RSS payments + PPE payments

Child GDS Fees = SDR IOS earnings + capitation registration payments
Adult GDS Fees = SDR IOS earnings + continuing care registration payments

Other Fees/Allowances

All other payments received by the dentist during that financial year. This would include some of the following:

• Practice Allowance
• Trainee Salary
• Maternity/Sick Pay
• Seniority
• Rates Reimbursement
• Clinical waste
• Relief of Pain
• Relief of Pain Expenses
• Probity Recovery
• CPDA
• CPDA Expenses

• Levy
• Clinical audit
• Peer Review
• Trainers Grant
• QA Grant
• Employers National insurance
• Charter Mark
• Arrears
• PG Qualification Allowance
• Other
• Oral Surgery Pilot

Access to Services during the Covid-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, general dental practitioners were instructed to cease all aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) and routine dental treatments were postponed. These restrictions had an impact on General Dental Service (GDS) item of service (IOS) activity levels and the number of patients seen since March 2020. Individual contractors were provided Financial Support Scheme (FSS) payments to stabilise their IOS payments in 2020/21 and 2021/22. On 8th April 2022 the GDS Rebuilding Support Scheme (RSS) was introduced to replace FSS. Dental Practitioners were also provided with PPE Payments. More information on the Financial Support/Covid-19 payments (FSS and PPE) and rebuilding of services (RSS) is available on the BSO website. All other payments such as registration, capitation and other allowances were paid as normal.

Dental Access Scheme (DAS)

The Dental Access Scheme (DAS) was launched on the 1st August 2024. The aim of the scheme is to improve access to health service dental care during the working week for unregistered dental patients, asylum seekers, and refugees who are experiencing an emergency, urgent, or pressing dental condition. To be eligible to be seen, you must not be registered with a dental practice, or a private scheme, and must be experiencing an emergency, urgent or pressing dental condition. Participating practices receive additional remuneration for each unregistered patient they triage and provide face-to-face care and treatment to as part of the scheme. Claims for payment for these additional fees are submitted weekly to the SPPG through the appropriate claim form. As part of the verification process, the registration status of the patient is checked prior to payment. Claims for payment for treatment provided (i.e. IoS fees) are submitted as normal to the BSO with patient charges applicable for non-exempt patients. More information on DAS can be found here.

Community Dental Services

The Community Dental Service is a group of dental practitioners providing a wide range of specialist dental services in health centres and hospitals to people with Special Care Needs. Special Care Dentistry is concerned with providing and enabling the delivery of oral care for people with an impairment or disability, where this terminology is defined in the broadest of terms. It is defined by a diverse client-group with a range of disabilities and complex additional needs and includes people living at home, in long stay residential care and secure units, as well as homeless people. This is a referral only service for patients whose dental care cannot be provided in general dental practice. People who wish to use this service will need a referral from a General Dental practitioner or other Health and Social Care Practitioner. All referrals are assessed to ensure that they meet the requirements for provision of care within the Specialist Services provided.

Data Coverage

Coverage

Data in this report are published by the financial year (01 April – 31 March) in which the claim was paid. This is not necessarily the same year as when the activity took place. As such, it will include some activity undertaken towards the end of the previous financial year and exclude some activity carried out towards the end of this reporting year which was not submitted for payment by March 2026.

The data is based on claims provided to the Family Practitioner Services (FPS) by primary care dentists and excludes all private work, work carried out in hospitals and by the Community Dental Service. As it is only part of the overall picture, care should therefore be taken in interpreting any differences in activity as representing differences in oral health status between areas or across time. See Child Dental Health Survey, England, Wales & Northern Ireland, Adult Dental Health Survey - Summary report and thematic series for the most recent child and adult dental surveys if comparative oral health information is of interest. Workforce counts are a headcount and do not reflect hours worked. Counts are as at 31st March for each financial year.

Patient Demographics

Patient Health and Care Numbers (HCNs) are available on dental claims and registrations. Patient information presented at Local Commissioning Group (Health Trust) and Local Government District (LGD) is based on the patient’s current address according to the GP register (NHAIS). In addition, any gender breakdowns are based on what is recorded on the GP register (NHAIS) and may be self-reported. There are cases where no gender is recorded and therefore were included within the Unknown category.

Population

NISRA population figures are used in this release. At the time of creation, the latest mid-year estimate available at LCG, LGD and Northern Ireland level is 2024. For consistency within the 2025/26 Northern Ireland-level and sub-Northern Ireland level calculations, the 2024 mid-year estimate was used for this year. This is because, in the absence of more up to date population estimates, this is a more accurate reflection of the current population, than using the 2018-based population projections which were developed prior to the 2021 Census and had LCG and LGD breakdowns. The 2022-based population projections are currently only available at Northern Ireland and LGD level with the latest 2024-based population projections currently only available at Northern Ireland level. These estimates are published on the NISRA website.

Technical Notes

Target Audience

The target audience for this publication has been defined as: the Department of Health, Chief Executives of Trusts in Northern Ireland, senior staff in Strategic Planning and Performance Group, health professionals, academics, HSC Stakeholders, the media and the general public.

Main usages

This publication contains accredited official statistics on general dental activity for the most recent financial year (and earlier years where available on a comparable basis).

It can be used to monitor trends in dental services over time and across Northern Ireland.

The information can be used to support decision making, inform policy, provide advice to ministers, answer a wide range of Assembly Questions and Freedom of Information requests, for national and local press articles and, where appropriate, for international comparison.

Data Quality Summary

The data has been primarily sourced from the Family Practitioner Payment System (FPPS) in respect of FPS activity and payment information. Resident population data has been sourced from official NISRA demographic statistics.

The FPPS is a business critical payment system which is subject to periodic audit. The data quality is assessed as very good based on the low percentage of claims which have to be adjusted following payment.

As an administrative data system, there will inevitably be some manual entry errors and, even for automated processes, there may be errors within the claims submitted by primary care contractors.

The extensive validation that occurs prior to payments being made, coupled with the consistency and variance checks carried out during the compilation of this publication means that the data provides a good representation of FPS activity for the years covered by the report.

A background data quality report for this publication is available. Additional details are in the FPS Quality Assurance of Administrative Data report.

National/International comparisons

This publication contains comparisons between Northern Ireland and other regions of the United Kingdom. The comparative data is available from the following sources:

England - Statistics on activity and workforce

Wales - Statistics on activity and workforce

Scotland - Statistics on registrations and activity

Further Information

Further information about Northern Ireland and its primary care health services, which may assist readers in interpreting this publication, is available on the BSO Website.

Copyright and Licence

© 2026 Crown Copyright. This publication may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium. Any material used must be acknowledged, and the title of the publication specified.

Open Government Licence. All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated.

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