Statistical Publication Notice

30 October 2007

Dental statistics

INTRODUCTION

Information about the NHS General, Community and Hospital Dental Services as well as dental workforce data is available in this section of ISD’s website. 

Historically GDS Dental registrations have been published annually as at 31^st March. Information is now to be released quarterly. In this release GDS registrations are presented as at 30 June 2007.   It is also the first time that numbers for GDS registrations have been presented at Community Healthcare Partnership (CHP), Local Authority, Parliamentary Constituency and Parliamentary Region level.

Community Dental Service figures are published as at 31st March 2005, 2006 and 2007.

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KEY POINTS

The number (percentage of population) of children and adults registered with NHS General Dental Services in Scotland at 30^th June 2007 was 708,901 (67.5%) and 1,890,615 (46.5%) respectively.

In the Community Dental Service (CDS) the number of patients treated in year ending March 2007 was 89,078, and the number of courses of treatment carried out was   93,986. 

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INTERPRETATION

Geographical breakdown of GDS registration data is based on location (postcode) of the dental practice where the patient is registered.

The number of CDS courses of treatment differs from the number of CDS patients treated, as a patient may have more than one CDS course of treatment during the year.

In GDS and CDS children are those aged under 18. Adults are those aged 18 and over. 

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DETAILED FINDINGS

From 31^st March 2007 to 30^th June 2007 the number of children registered with a GDS dentist increased by 3,615 (0.3%) and the number of adults registered increased by 10,989 (0.3%). The NHS board with the largest increase in percentage of population registered was NHS Orkney, with 3.4% (from 30.4% to 33.8%).

From year ending March 2006 to year ending March 2007 the number of CDS patients treated fell by 4,491 (4.8%) and the number of courses of treatment fell by 5,650 (5.7%). These decreases, which are in line with current policy, are the result of a lower take-on rate of children by the CDS, as it is increasingly encouraging children to visit their General Dental Practitioners, rather than offering treatment under the CDS. The CDS is also seeing more adults with special needs, who often have more complex treatment profiles as they usually have poorer oral health.

MAIN CONTACTS:

PRE-RELEASE ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICATION WAS GIVEN TO:

HISTORY OF THIS PUBLICATION:

Last Published:  31^st July 2007
Next Due:  January 2008
Date available since: Registrations are normally published annually as at 31st March and have been since 2000. This is the first time (June 2007) that GDS Dental Registrations will be published quarterly. It will also be the first time that these data are published at Community Healthcare Partnership (CHP), Local Authority, Parliamentary Constituency and Parliamentary Region level.
Community Dental Service data first published year ending 31 December 1991.