Dental examinations fall by 78% in Northern Ireland due to the pandemic
The number of dental examinations provided for adults in Northern Ireland has fallen by 78% due to the pandemic.
The latest data from the Department of Health suggests that dentists lost nearly £19 million in revenue in 2019/2020 with patient contributions falling from £26 million in 2018/2019 to £7.1 million the following year.
Despite the fall in income from patients, dentists have been able to stay afloat thanks to government funding worth over £51 million. The gross cost of dental services in 2019/2020 was £131.7 million compared to £130.9 million the year before.
The number of dental examinations has fallen steeply as a result of lockdown closures and prolonged periods of additional restrictions and measures and reduced practice capacities. Practices closed for several weeks in March 2020 and since they reopened, they have been limiting patient numbers to lower the risk of transmission.
Most teams are still prioritising urgent cases, which means that patients seeking routine services, such as dental check-ups, are having to wait to see a dentist.
The data also shows that the number of dental examinations for children fell by 57% in 2019/2020.
Join this Discussion