Figures show nearly half of registered patients in Scotland haven’t seen a dentist for 2 years
Figures show that almost half of patients who are registered with an NHS dentist in Scotland haven’t seen a dentist for at least two years.
Statistics obtained by the Liberal Democrats via a Freedom of Information request show that 10% of people haven’t been to the dentist for ten years. In total, more than 2,200 patients haven’t attended an appointment in the last 23 years.
The data also revealed that waiting times for dental treatment have increased across 12 health boards since 2019.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said that it was incredibly positive that 95% of the population is registered with an NHS dentist, but the British Dental Association (BDA) branded the data ‘meaningless.’ Charlotte Waite, national director, said that there is no point in patients being registered with a dentist if they can’t access appointments and services. She also warned that NHS dentistry has reached crisis point and added that without urgent intervention, it will collapse.
The figures, which run up to January 2023, show that 46.9% of people haven’t seen a dentist in the last two years and over 23% haven’t accessed dental care services in the last five years.
One of the main issues facing patients is a lack of available NHS places and appointments. A BDA survey suggests that almost 60% of high street dentists have reduced their NHS workload since 2020.
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