Scotland Registration Statistics Don't Tell Full Story, Says BDA

Figures for the number of individuals registered with an NHS dentist published by NHS Scotland today do not tell the full story, according to the British Dental Association (BDA).


Commenting on the figures, Robert Donald, of the BDA's Scottish Dental Practice Committee, said:



"As the Scottish Government has acknowledged, recent estimates of the number of individuals registered with NHS dentists in Scotland have included deceased and duplicated patients. Although work to remove duplicate patient records has begun, some patient records are not matched to Community Health Index numbers. Until they are it will be impossible to have complete confidence that the registration figures are robust.



"A second issue is raised by the introduction of lifelong registration earlier this year. This step means that the significant number of patients who are registered, but not actually visiting a dentist, will also be included in these figures. Our understanding is that almost a quarter of a million individuals included in today's statistics haven't visited their dentist during the last three years.



"What makes a difference to the nation's oral health isn't the number of people who can theoretically access a dentist; it's how many actually do."


Notes


1. The statistics are available here.