CMA considers dentist market study

In her letter to Sarah Cardell and Doug Gurr, respectively the chief executive and interim chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Reeves asked the regulator to open “a study of private provision in the dentistry market” and, in the course of that study, consider “the effectiveness of competition between private dentistry providers, including at a local level, and the ability of consumers to make effective choices and obtain good value for money”.

In response, Cardell and Gurr said the CMA has already undertaken “initial exploratory work” in relation to the market and is due to make a decision on what steps to take next.

They said: “We welcome your request that the CMA carries out a study into the private dental care market. We agree that this is an important market that needs to work well for consumers. The CMA has been carrying out initial exploratory work, including engagement with government officials, to understand the merits of work in this area. Building on this, we will be developing a specific proposal to put to our Board, and we will write to you again with an update on the outcome of that discussion.”

Competition law expert Giles Warrington said: “The CMA could take this encouragement from government as something of a directive. It is close to wrapping up a lengthy investigation into the veterinary services market and so may have some capacity to start a new workstream.”

In a speech on Thursday at the launch of the CMA’s strategy for 2026-2029, Cardell noted that the CMA now has “an eye on dentistry” as part of its “relentless” focus on “bringing down prices and improving choice”.