THE number of people registered with an NHS dentist in Scotland has increased – but more than half of adults still do not have one, it was revealed yesterday.
By the end of September, 48.6 per cent of adults were registered with an NHS dentist – up from 46.5 per cent in June. Child registrations also rose, from 67.5 per cent to 69.9 per cent.
But dentists said last year's change in the way NHS registr
ations were recorded was likely to account for much of the increase.
Wide regional variations remain, with fewer than 30 per cent of adults in Highland and Grampian having an NHS dentist, compared with 58.2 per cent in Greater Glasgow.
Last month, it emerged that a £300,000 dental surgery which could treat thousands of NHS patients in Aberdeen was sitting empty because dentists could not be found to run it. Local health chiefs blamed the situation on dentists abandoning the NHS for the greater financial benefits of private practice.
The lowest proportion of child registrations was in the Western Isles, at 40.9 per cent, with the highest being 76.9 per cent in Greater Glasgow.
Yesterday, the Scottish Government said the number of dentists working in the NHS had increased by 2.7 per cent between 2006 and 2007, with the figure now 2,920.
During a visit to Chalmers Street Dental Centre in Edinburgh yesterday, Shona Robison, the public health minister, described the figures as "really encouraging". But she went on:
"I know there is still much more to be done and some parts of Scotland still have problems with access to an NHS dentist."
Mary Scanlon, the Scottish Tories' health spokeswoman, said:
"We still have a third of all children and over half of adults not registered with a dentist. It is a disgraceful state of affairs."
Andrew Lamb, the British Dental Association's director for Scotland, said the figures should be treated with caution because of the change in the way registrations are recorded. In the past, patients were deemed to be no longer registered if they did not visit their dentist for 15 months. That has increased to 36 months.
Mr Lamb said yesterday's statistics were the first to reflect the new registration period, and added: "A bigger jump in the number of patients deemed to be registered might have been expected. It is clear that access to NHS dentistry remains a problem for many people in Scotland, and these figures will be a cause of concern to the Scottish Government."
Margaret Watt, of the Scottish Patients Association, said:
"The Scottish Government have to get the message across to people that it is important to look after your dental health as well as your physical health.
"But people will be worried about the costs, so there must be more NHS dentists available."
• To find your nearest NHS dentist, call your local health board or go to at www.nhs24.com.
