Letter: Competition in dental care

Sir: Your leading article 'A kick in the teeth from the dentists' (7 May) refers to the National Health Service offering 'tight control over the changes dentists make'. It also adds, 'when people are ill they put their trust in a physician to define the problem and prescribe the best treatment'.

We at Denplan agree with both these points, but would add that fixed prices must obviously have a detrimental effect on the quality of care and clinical standards that can be provided.

Although the vast majority of the dental profession strives to provide the highest quality of care, their ability to fund that will depend on their particular circumstances, including regional and individual variations in overheads.

We have worked with thousands of practitioners who have struggled to subsidise the care of their NHS patients themselves, but who are now moving to independent practice to achieve the high standards of quality treatment and care that they were trained to provide and their patients desire.

Dentists cannot be held responsible for the funding levels that the Treasury chooses to allocate to the National Health Service. They are, however, honouring their responsibility which, as you so rightly say, is to fulfil their patients' trust in them as professionals.

Yours faithfully,

NINA KELLY

Director of Marketing

and Client Services

Denplan

Winchester

7 May