Table 5.
All scenarios cost minimization and workforce numbers outputs
| Dental professional | DENTASSim clinical time in hours | DENTASSim WTE | Estimated NHS number of personnel required to meet total demand | Ratio of NHS personnel dentist to hygiene therapist | Minimum salary cost | Average salary cost | Maximum salary cost | % salary cost saving between no skill mix and other scenarios | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario 1: “No Skill Mix” (dentists only) | Dentists only | 19,294,238 | 12,685 | 24,736 | £478,410,847 | £750,889,634 | £1,023,368, 422 | 0% | |
| Scenario 2: “Minimal Direct Access” 70% exams delegated +UPDA delegation rate | Dentists | 9,633,574 | 6,334 | 12,351 | 1:1.3 | £238,869,572 | £374,917,681 | £510 965,790 | |
| Dental therapists | 9,660,664 | 6,606 | 16,513 | £140,038,342 | £185,616,859 | £231,195,376 | |||
| Total | 28,864 | £378,907,914 | £560,534,540 | £742,161, 167 | 38% | ||||
| Scenario 3: “More Prevention” 50% of children receive fluoride varnish +UPDA delegation rate | Dentists | 13,623,505 | 8,967 | 17,466 | 1.8:1 | £338,185,478 | £530,798,939 | £723,412,400 | |
| Dental therapists | 5,815,934 | 4,084 | 9,941 | £86,572,892 | £114,749,918 | £142,926,945 | 18% | ||
| Total | 27,407 | £424,758,370 | £645,548,858 | £866,339, 345 | |||||
| Scenario 4: “Maximum Delegation” (delegation of 100%: examinations prevention, 50% of radiographs, tooth restoration and children’s extractions = 62.8% of total clinical time) | Dentists | 7,290,502 | 4,801 | 9,346 | 1:2 | £181,073,278 | £284,203,521 | £387,333,764 | |
| Dental therapists | 11,913,515 | 8,199 | 20,365 | £173,826,662 | £230,402,321 | £286,977,980 | 52% | ||
| Total | 29,711 | £354,899,939 | £514,605,842 | £674,311, 744 |
Salary source is the National Careers Service: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx [33].
Number of personnel is calculated based on working hours described by Robinson et al. [30], that is, WTE for clinical time (dental therapist 0.3 WTE; dentist 0.4 WTE).