This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Brushing up on dental health
20/05/2005
Improving children's oral health is at the heart of the
Executive's drive to improve the country's health record,
dentists were told today.
Deputy Health Minister Rhona Brankin stressed this as
she addressed the annual conference of the British Dental
Association (BDA) in Glasgow.
She said: "By the age of three, more than 60 per cent of
children in our most deprived areas will have dental
disease. This is unacceptable. I am absolutely determined
to turn that statistic around.
"Earlier this year I announced the biggest shake-up of
NHS dental services since the NHS began. This was matched
with record levels of funding, to ensure that the NHS in
Scotland becomes a more attractive place for dentists to
work.
"I have listened closely to the views of dentists around
the country and believe that the package of measures we
have announced meets their calls for a more flexible and
less bureaucratic system.
"We are delivering on dentistry and we are delivering
for dentists.
"I look forward to working closely with the profession
to deliver the ambitious targets set out in our Action
Plan, to rebuild NHS dentistry and make it accessible to
everyone.
"I am convinced that if we do so, a child born in
Scotland today will have greater prospects for their future
oral health than any previous generation. At the end of the
day, that is all that matters."
The Executive announced additional funding of £150
million over three years. In the first year, (2005-06) an
extra £45 million to improve oral health and support NHS
dental services will be provided. This will rise to £100
million in the second year (2006-07) and will build to £150
million by 2008. This means a total spend of £350 million
on NHS dentistry in three years time.