More incredible than that, the NHS report found that 159 dentists earned between £250,000 and £275,000, 113 earned between £275,000 and £300,000, and 382 earned more than £300,000.

The statistsics are based on an official NHS report which has all the data from the 19,500 dentists in the UK.

• The average dentists’ wage was £89,062 .

• 7,500 dentists’ run their own practices with a contract with local primary care services to provide NHS dental services  had an average  gross income of £345,651 before taxes.

• The 12,000 dentists working in a practice without an NHS contract earned on average £65,697 (before tax). With typical expenses of £33,512, this took average total earnings to £99,208.

The report covers just the earnings and expenses of full- and part-time, self-employed primary care dentists who undertook some NHS work in England and Wales in the year, and covers both their NHS and private work. Earnings include fees for treating both NHS and private patients in 2007-08, the second year of the new dental contract.

The Health minister Ann Keen said: “NHS dentistry is improving and many dentists are now keen to expand their NHS work. Today’s report confirms that NHS dentists have good levels of earnings.

“Access to NHS dentistry is continuing to improve, following record investment, an expanding workforce and a continuing increase in the amount of services being bought by the NHS.”

The full NHS government report can be found for England & Wales here:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalearnexp0708