Figures Show Progress In Dental Numbers In Ayrshire And Arran
New figures reveal progress for dental services in Ayrshire and Arran; the latest statistics show that there has been a significant increase in the number of adults and children who are registered with a dentist.
Cunninghame North MSP, Kenneth Gibson, was delighted to hear news of the figures from Health Secretary, Alex Neil, with figures suggesting major improvements in dental services since 2007, when the Scottish National Party came into power.
Mr Neil said that NHS Ayrshire and Arran had made “substantial progress” and NHS dental services have improved significantly within the last five years.
Figures show that the proportion of children who have an NHS dentist rose from 71.2 per cent to 88.9 per cent between March 2007 and September 2012, while the adult increase was even more impressive. The percentage of adults registered with an NHS dentist increased from 53.2 per cent to 83.9 per cent.
Access to dental services has also improved considerably; in 2007, the proportion of practices accepting new patients in Ayrshire and Arran was just 42 per cent, compared to 93 per cent in 2013.
The number of dentists has also increased markedly; in 2007, there were 163 dentists working in the area; there are now 212.
MSP Kenneth Gibson said that the figures represented excellent news for the region; he added that he was “delighted” that Arran and Ayrshire are “leading the way in dentistry.”
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