Cumbria host NHS dental pilot
New improvements to NHS dentistry will be piloted in Cumbria.
Dental teams in the county will be increasing their preventative dental care provision in a bid to improve the oral health of local people.
Some of these pilots will work to ensure that whole communities will receive advice on preventative oral health.
As part of this scheme fluoride varnish will be applied to local people’s teeth, diet and nutritional advice will be provided and those who want to quit smoking will be given support.
The county was selected for these pilot schemes because of the extensive preventative work it has already carried out.
Consultant in dental public health for NHS Cumbria Eric Rooney said that the region was delighted that it had been selected to pilot the scheme.
Last year more than 37,000 new NHS dental places were made available in Cumbria. A further 22,500 are expected to be created by the end of 2010.
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Mr Rooney, In view of your work, how do you account for the lack of places for dental care in this part of Cumbria. A group of us signed on looking for an NHS dentist in the autumn of 2008. We are still waiting, while newcomers to Cumbria are found dentists after only 6 months! I would like to know why the long wait? What’s the problem? Why are there no dental places avaialable for those of us who live and work here. As a Vicar I come acorss others in my situation. We are all only too aware of the health risks that the lack of routine dental treatment cause and would like a serious answer to a serious question.