Hmm... I thought in the UK dentists have the option of either practicing on their own or as part of their National Health Service??
I remember reading a New York Times article last year that UK's NHS does not pay very much so not many dentists there sign on, which is why whenever a dentist announces they will take NHS cases, people would be lined up all the way around the block.
I am working in Taiwan right now and they do have National Health Insurance that covers basic restorative, recall, root canals and exos, but dentists here still make a pretty comfortable living because the more expensive procedures such as fixed, removable and therapeutic perio care are all out-of-pocket.