Scotland: Dental registration hits record high
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- Published: Tuesday, 04 August 2015 07:13
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More Scots than ever are registered with an NHS dentist according to data relased by the Scottish Government. Public Health Minister Maureen Watt welcomed the statistics which showed that 88 per cent of the Scottish population – 4.7 million people – are now registered. Children are more likely to be registered than adults, at 93 per cent compared to 87 per cent.
The number of patients registered with NHS dentists in Scotland has risen sharply – amid growing criticism of problems in England. The Scottish Government hailed big improvements, even in poorer areas such as Glasgow, working under the payment system that was abandoned south of the border.
The SNP administration released figures showing:
- More than 4.7 million patients are now registered with an NHS dentist in Scotland – an 82% increase since it came to power in March 2007
- That 93% of children are registered – up from 67% eight years ago
- That 87% of adults are registered – an increase from 46% back in 2007.
The figures also show that dental registration levels are the same, at 90 per cent, for children living in the most and least deprived areas of Scotland. Ms Watt said: “This is fantastic news, and shows the real progress we have made since 2007 in improving people’s access to an NHS dentist, with nearly two million more people registered under this Government. It is particularly encouraging to see that 93 per cent of children in Scotland are registered and that this rate remains high across all sections of society. I would like to take this opportunity to remind people how important it is to attend regular check-ups with their dentist. Seeing a dentist on a regular basis can help identify any early signs of oral cancer and means appropriate action can be taken quickly. Also, tooth decay if left untreated can result in tooth loss, but with regular check-ups early decay can be spotted before it gets the chance to cause more damage. I’d encourage everyone to take the opportunity of increased access to an NHS dentist, and make sure they take the time to look after their dental health with regular check-ups.”
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