Figures show an increase in NHS dental patient numbers in Scotland
Government figures have revealed that the number of people registered with an NHS dentist in Scotland has increased significantly in the last three years.
The statistics show that there was an increase of more than a million patients between March 2007 and June 2010 and more people are now registered with an NHS dentist than ever before. The figures also showed an increase in the number of children registered with an NHS dentist.
Health minister, Shona Robinson, said that the figures were pleasing; she said that more dentists were working for the NHS and improvements in training facilities for student dentists had also had an impact. Ms Robinson now expects standards of oral health to improve as a result of the increase in registration and improvements in access to NHS dental services. The Health Minister also revealed that dental outreach training centres in Inverness, Aberdeen and Dumfries and Galloway had encouraged more dental students to come to Scotland.
Recently, figures revealed that standards of oral health amongst primary school children had improved and more children are free of decay than ever before. In recent years, NHS Scotland has invested a great deal of money in NHS dentistry and people are now beginning to reap the rewards.
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