The appropriate authority shall by order make transitional provision in respect of persons who, immediately before the coming into force of section 172, are providing services under section 35 of the 1977 Act (general dental services).

An order under this section may provide that, in such circumstances as the order may prescribe, a Primary Care Trust or Local Health Board must, if any such person so wishes, enter into a general dental services contract with him; and the order may make provision as to the terms of any such contract.

An order under this section may provide that, in such circumstances as the order may prescribe, a Primary Care Trust or Local Health Board must, if any such person so wishes, enter into a contract with him, containing such terms as the order may specify, for the provision of dental services.

An order under this section may make provision for the resolution of disputes in relation to any contract entered into, or proposed to be entered into, under subsection (2) or (3), including provision for the determination of disputes by the appropriate authority or a person appointed by the authority.

An order under this section may make provision in respect of a period beginning before the coming into force of the provision (or of section 172), provided that the provision is not as a whole detrimental to the remuneration of the persons to whom it relates.

In this section—

• “appropriate authority” means—

  1. a

     the Secretary of State, in relation to England; and

  2. b

     the Assembly, in relation to Wales;

• “general dental services contract” means a contract under section 28K of the 1977 Act (as inserted by section 172(1)).