Struggle for dental practices in Ayrshire, despite record number of registrations
Figures released by the Scottish government have revealed that 13 percent of children in Ayrshire do not have access to NHS dental care.
The figures show that there has been a significant increase in the number of registrations in Ayrshire but thousands of children aged between three and five are still struggling to see a dentist. Scottish government statistics confirmed that there was an increase of 76,000 registrations since March 2005; 78 percent of adults in Ayrshire are now registered with an NHS dentist.
Public health minister, Shona Robinson, said that the figures were very positive, with a significant increase in the number of patients registering with an NHS dentist over the course of the last five years. Across Scotland, more than a million people have registered with a dentist and access to dental care is better than ever before.
Despite the positive figures, there is concern over the number of children without an NHS dentist and local health ministers are being encouraged to improve access to regular dental care for young children. Targeting children at an early age will reduce the risk of children suffering from painful dental conditions and will also prevent oral health problems in the future, which will be cost-effective and better for their general health.
Join this Discussion