A CAMPAIGN to put a healthier smile on the faces of Moray residents by increasing access to NHS dentistry is starting to bear fruit.
But health chiefs are still concerned about the low numbers of children registered with an NHS dentist.
Despite 1,170 more children being signed up with dentists in Moray over the last 18 months, overall just 55% are registered with a practice delivering NHS treatment.
That gives Moray one of the lowest levels in Scotland, Ray Watkins, consultant in dental public health for NHS Grampian, told local health administrators.
"There are a huge number of children who are not getting any kind of dental service," he said.
Mr Watkins is confident that the Child Smile initiative, designed to promote good oral health among nursery and early-years primary school youngsters, will start to deliver increased NHS registration among children.
The increased provision of NHS dental facilities and practising dentists in Moray has seen a huge increase in the number of adults registering for NHS treatment in the last 18 months, with 10,286 more registered over this period, taking the total number of adults with an NHS dentist to 19,125.
That is compared to just over 10,000 registered adults in June, 2007.
Across Moray, 29,770 adults and children are registered with an NHS practice.
The chronic shortage of NHS dentists in Moray has been eased in the last couple of years with long overdue investment in local facilities and a recruitment drive to fill them.
In the last year alone, said Mr Watkins, three new dental practices have opened in Moray, mainly offering NHS care. These were at Glassgreen in New Elgin, Bishopmill, and the new Spynie Dental Centre, the largest, with ten surgeries.
Check rest of story
No comments:
Post a Comment