A list of the top 50 NHS dental practices by gross earnings was released by the Dental Practice Board under the Freedom of Information Act. The Times ran the story with the headline “Dentists in NHS 'on £250k salaries'.” This provoked John Renshaw, chair of the BDA, to send a letter to the Times saying that the article offered “a confused and inaccurate account of dentists' incomes.” He urged for a distinction to be drawn between the gross income for practices and the net income for individual dentists.

John Renshaw explained that “from these gross fees practice owners must cover practice costs, such as staff salaries, upkeep of equipment and the bricks and mortar of the practice itself.”