NHS dentists treat ever more children

Published on Monday 3 November 2008 08:56

MORE children than ever in the Lothians are registered with an NHS dentist, figures have shown.

Around 80 per cent of children are now signed up in the area, a figure which is well above the national average.

NHS Lothian have put this achievement down to a number of initiatives to encourage parents to register their child with a public dentist.

Young children are the most likely to be signed up by such a practitioner, statistics have revealed.

Persuading older people to visit the dentist on a regular basis is proving slightly trickier, with just over half of 18-24-year-olds registered in the Lothians, below the national mean, and only 48 per cent of over-75s.

Colwyn Jones, a consultant in dental public health with NHS Lothian, said the increase was a direct result of the hard work and initiatives carried out by the health board.

"These figures are extremely encouraging and are a tribute to the committed general dental practitioners in Lothian and the hard work going on in nurseries and schools, and more generally, to encourage children and parents to think about their dental health," he said.

In total 61 per cent of Lothian residents were registered with a dentist, a figure that is higher than most health boards, but one that health chiefs across the country are anxious to improve upon.