Dental patient numbers reach an all-time high in Dumfries and Galloway

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Recent figures have given NHS health bosses in Dumfries and Galloway something to smile about; the number of patients registered with an NHS dentist has increased significantly and numbers have now reached an all-time high.

Valerie White, a consultant in dental public health, said that NHS Dumfries and Galloway has worked hard over the last four years to improve access to NHS dental care and encourage more people to use the services available to them.

Access to NHS dentistry has improved significantly over the last four years; in 2007 just 33 percent of the population had access to an NHS dentist and this figure has almost doubled to 63 percent.

Ms White said that access to dental services has been a major problem in the past but a great deal of money has been invested over the last four years and as a result, access is now much better. Despite the improvements, the proportion of people registered with a dentist is still lower than the Scottish average of 72 percent and health executives are eager to continue the improvements. At a meeting last week, health chiefs set a target of 70 percent by March 2014.

Board members also discussed dental services for children; they set a target of 65 percent for children aged between zero and 2 years and 11 months and set out plans to continue supporting oral health initiatives for children, including fluoride varnish treatments, which have helped to reduce rates of decay. Board members also set a target for older people; by 2014 they hope that 60 percent of people over the age of 75 will be registered with an NHS dentist.

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