Scotland's Oral Health Plan. A Scottish Government Consultation Exercise on the Future of Oral Health Services

Overview

We have observed substantial improvements in the oral health of children, and in access to NHS dental services for patients.

There are now over 4.8 million people registered with a NHS dentist. This is reflected in the unprecedented increase in the numbers of NHS dentists, where we have seen an increase of around 30 per cent in the last eight years.

We can be especially proud of the excellent progress made in the oral health of children. This is a crucial area, as dental decay is almost always entirely preventable, and by ensuring good oral health in children, we help safeguard the oral health of the future adult population. We can happily report that the latest National Dental Inspection Programme (2015) showed that 75 per cent of children in Scotland at Primary 7 had ‘no obvious decay experience’, compared with 59 per cent in 2007. We have also seen similar progress amongst Primary 1 children.    

We want to ensure that the oral health of the nation continues to improve and that we take additional measures to improve the oral health of the most disadvantaged communities, and meet the challenge of an ageing population. Our NHS dental services in Scotland need to be more closely aligned to the patient’s needs, enabling the dental team to support the patient in improving and maintaining their oral health.

This consultation document focuses on important issues we have to address in the future. The publication of this document represents the start of our stakeholder engagement. We will be talking and listening to patients, dentists, and other health professionals, as well as the wider NHS, in how we take dental services forward to meet the challenges of the future.

Why your views matter

Although the landscape in NHS dentistry and oral health has changed significantly for the better, it is important we continue to build on this success story. The First Minister’s Programme for Government acknowledges the complex set of challenges around oral health inequalities, an ageing population and how we begin to shift the emphasis from restorative dentistry to a more preventive-focused approach.

This consultation exercise will help to shape the oral health care and NHS dental services in Scotland for the next generation.

What happens next

After the closing date the responses we have received will be analysed and a report outlining the results will be published during March 2017. The results of this consultation exercise will be used to shape the next Dental Action Plan, due to published at a later date in 2017.