Page last updated: 29-JUL-2008

Dental

ONS kitemarkStatistical Publication Notice

29 July 2008

 Dental Statistics

INTRODUCTION

Dental related information about the General, Community and Hospital Dental Services as well as workforce data are available in this section of ISD's website. 
 
This release includes quarterly registration figures for quarter ending 31 March 2008.  Information on fees paid to dentists for children and adults are updated to year ending 31 March 2008.  Workforce figures as at 31 March 2008 are published for the General Dental Service (GDS).

KEY POINTS

  • The percentage of the Scottish population registered with a dentist is 73.8% and 53.1% for children and adults respectively as at 31 March 2008.  This is an increase from 71.7% for children and 50.7% for adults registered as at 31 December 2007.
  • There is one NHS GDS dentist to approximately 1,987 people in the population of Scotland.
  • The number (headcount) of dentists working in the NHS GDS has increased by 4.1% from 2,474 as at 31 March 2007 to 2,576 as at March 2008.

INTERPRETATION

Registration data are based on the location (postcode) of the dental practice.
 
The information by geographical area is only available from March 2007.  They do not represent the percentages of people in each geographical area who are registered; however registrations (numerator) are based on the postcode of the practice where the patient has registered with a general dental practitioner. The population (denominator) is based on where the patient resides. In some cases, the number of registrations may exceed the actual number of people in the chosen population.
 
Since April 2006, patients remain registered with a dentist for 3 years before their registration lapses (if they don't attend a practice) whereas previously the registration would lapse after 15 months.  In the future, this might alter trends.
 
Childsmile - the national oral health demonstration programmes, were introduced in 2006/07.  This is a pilot for a new way of delivering preventative dentistry to children.  In a further development since July 2007, 'Childsmile' children have been registered with a dentist at their practice.
 
Children are defined as those aged under 18.  Adults are defined as those aged 18 and over.
 
Fees are calculated by dividing item of service and registration costs by the child/adult population.
 
One of the workforce tables presents the headcount of dentists by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).  It should be noted that the increase/decreases in the headcount of dentists in quintiles is due to a variety of reasons including: new dentists starting, dentists moving practice and the reclassification of postcodes to different SIMD quintiles.  Data this year are based on SIMD2006 index.  Here is a link to the Scottish Executive SIMD page:
 
A dentist may practise in more than one local authority / SIMD quintile.  This issue must be considered when using the information on the headcount of NHS GDS dentists as the dentist will be counted in each local authority / SIMD quintile they work in but they will only be counted once in the relevant total.
 
Free dental examinations were extended to all NHS patients from 1 April 2006.

DETAILED FINDINGS

The number (headcount) of dentists working in the NHS GDS (non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners) increaed by 4.1% from 2,474 as at 31 March 2007 to 2,576 as at 31 March 2008.

Table D5 presents the number (headcount) of NHS GDS dentists by local authority and deprivation quintile.  It shows that as at 31 March 2008, the highest number of dentists were based in the most deprived SIMD quintiles, 4 and 5, 31.5% and 24.6% respectively.  SIMD quintile 3 had the largest increase in the number of NHS GDS dentists of 11.9%.  There is one NHS GDS dentist to approximately 1,987 people in the population of Scotland.

The percentage of the Scottish population registered with a dentist is 73.8% and 53.1% for children and adults respectively as at 31 March 2008.  This is an increase from 71.7% for children and 50.7% for adults registered as at 31 December 2007.

The largest percentage point increase in the number of registations was in NHS Shetland.  There was an increase of approximately 10.3% points for children and 5.3% points for adults.

The average cost to the NHS GDS of treating a child during 2007/08 increased from £51 to £54.  The average cost of treating an adult during 2007/08 increased from £33 to £35.

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MAIN CONTACTS:

Denise Hastie
Statistician
0131 275 6368
denise.hastie@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

John Kirkpatrick
Information Analyst
0131 275 6457
john.kirkpatrick@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Dariusz Blaszczak
Information Analyst
0131 275 6859
dariusz.blaszczak@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

ISD contacts
PSD Information Release Group
NHS Board Chief Executives
Scottish Dental Practice Board
NHS Board Dental Lead Officers
Scottish Government
 
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HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published: Registrations: 27 May 2008, Workforce: 29 January2008, Fees: 31 July 2007
Next Due: Registrations: 28 October 2008, Workforce: 16 December 2008, Fees 28: July 2009
Data Avaliable Since: Annual registration data from financial year ending 31 March 2000-2006
Quarterly registration data has been published since June 2007 (time period March 2007 onwards)
Data on fees since financial year ending 31 March 2003
Workforce data on General dental Service since 30 September 1998


Main contact: Email Denise Hastie