Community Dental Service

Community Dental Service activity, 1991-2007

Between 1991 and 2007, there was an overall decrease in the number of children treated (from 141,489 to 65,853) and in the number of child courses of treatment (from 174,494 to 69,931). This decrease, which is in line with current policy, is the result of a lower take-on rate of children by the Community Dental Service (CDS), as it is increasingly encouraging children to visit their General Dental Practitioners, rather than offering treatment under the Community Dental Service.

Between 1991 and 2004, there was an overall increase in the number of adults treated (from 24,161 to 32,100).  However, from 2004 onwards there has been a steady decrease to 23,225 adults treated in the year ending 31 March 2007.  

For the year ending 31 March 2007, the highest number of patients treated (16,404) and courses of treatment (20,696) was in Grampian, where the CDS is especially active, due mainly to the rurality of the area and the lower numbers of dentists providing NHS General Dental Services.  Other areas of Scotland also see a very active CDS, again due to the remoteness of locations and the lower numbers of dentists providing NHS General Dental Services.

The figures presented here exclude General Dental Services, the Hospital Service and private dental treatment.

The tables accessed via the links below show a variety of data relating to the Community Dental Service. When viewing the data, it should be noted that the number of courses of treatment differs from the number of patients treated, as a patient may have more than one course of treatment in a given period.

The review of NHS Primary Care Salaried Dental Services was published by the Scottish Executive in 2006 (the full report can be viewed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/162544/0044149.pdf). In line with the recommendations of this report, it was decided that the SMR13 data collection scheme for the NHS Community Dental Service should cease and that the new Primary Care Salaried Dental Service - the combined Community Dental Service and Salaried General Dental Service - should collect its data electronically and uniformly across the service and should provide data on waiting times and outcomes comparable with other services.

Primary Care Salaried Dental Services are being phased in gradually across Scotland, and the system to provide this comprehensive data collection, R4, is now rolled out to all NHS boards. From 1 April 2008, ISD Scotland will be  begin collating, analysing and where possible publishing Primary Care Salaried Dental Services data.

Information on Community Dental Service activity up to March 2007 can be accessed via the links below.

Courses of treatment, 1991 - 2007

Courses of treatment by NHS board, year ending 31 March 2007

Number of patients treated, 1991 - 2007

Number of patients treated by NHS board, year ending 31 March 2007