The Welsh Government has confirmed it will introduce a new General Dental Services (GDS) contract from April 2026, in what Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles MS described as “the most significant change in two decades.”

The reforms aim to put prevention at the centre of NHS dentistry and replace routine six-monthly check-ups with appointments based on patients’ oral health needs, with gaps of up to two years between check-ups for those who have health teeth.

The government says the changes will make the system fairer and simplify patient charges, with half of patients continuing to receive free NHS care and charges for others capped at 50 per cent of the care package value.

But plans that would have seen NHS patients allocated a dentist for each check-up rather than staying with one practice have been dropped.

Speaking in the Senedd this week, Mr Miles said the current system “does not support the level of access, fairness or sustainability that the public and professionals demand.”

Under the planned changes, general fee rates to NHS dentists in Wales will rise from the proposed £135 to £150.

Following a consultation with more than 6,400 responses, the Welsh Government said access concerns for older, rural, and digitally excluded patients have been addressed, delaying the online payment system until 2027.

But opposition politicians and dental professionals remain cautious. James Evans MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and MS for Brecon and Radnorshire, said the reforms still leave “big gaps in clarity about funding, access, and accountability.”

He warned that local patients are already struggling to access NHS dentistry following the closure of practices in Knighton and Crickhowell, and many are "faced with the options of either paying privately, or going without [care]."

“In Brecon & Radnorshire, families already face some of the worst access to NHS dentistry in Wales. People are being forced to travel long distances after recent practice closures," he said.

Mr Evans also raised concerns about continuity of care.

"Welsh Labour originally wanted to push patients into a centralised system, that plan has now been dropped, but there’s still no guarantee that people will be able to see the same dentist," he said.

Mr Miles said continuity of care will be maintained under the new contract through capitation payments to practices.

Russell Gidney, chair of the British Dental Association's Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, acknowledged "important wins" but warned that "plastering over a few of the biggest cracks is just superficial repairs."

“The Welsh Government says it has listened to the public and our profession, but we need to see the small print,” he said.

“Ministers are taking forward the biggest changes NHS dentistry in Wales has ever seen via a route that will all but rule out fixes once draft laws reach the Senedd.

 “If our MSs can’t iron out the creases later, the Welsh Government must ensure real threats to this service don’t make the final cut of their plans.”