Northern Ireland dentists

Dentists in Northern Ireland earned an average taxable income of £89,756 (gross earnings minus expenses), with contract-holding dentists (principals) earning on average £121,174 and associates earning on average £66,134 in 2007/2008.

The NHS Information Centre’s report, Dental Earnings and Expenses, Northern Ireland 2007/08 Experimental Statistics, published today, also reveals that the average gross earnings for  principal dentists was £311,227, compared to £103,595 for associate dentists.

The report further shows that the average expenses for principal dentists were £190,053, compared to £37,462 for associate dentists.

The report goes on to reveal dentists’ self-employed earnings and expenses by their age, gender, regional health board and by the percentage of income they earned from NHS work.

It is the first time The NHS Information Centre has produced earnings and expenses data for dentists in Northern Ireland and, as such, these have been labelled ‘experimental statistics’, which are new official statistics that are undergoing evaluation. A key part of the ‘Experimental Statistics’ label is user engagement in the evaluation of those statistics, and the NHS IC invites readers to comment on this publication, which will help inform the next report. Comments should be emailed to enquiries@ic.nhs.uk.

The report for Northern Ireland was agreed by a joint working group made up of The NHS Information Centre, and representatives from the Department of Health, the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the British Dental Association, the Secretariat for the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body, the NHS Business Services Authority Dental Services, and the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants.

The report Dental Earnings and Expenses, Northern Ireland 2007/08 Experimental Statistics, can be accessed at www.ic.nhs.uk.