Third of registered patients in Scotland did not see NHS dentist for three years

More than a third of patients registered with an NHS dentist went without a check-up or treatment for three years, according to data.

Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats using freedom of information laws also show almost a quarter of the 5.16 million people registered last September had not seen an NHS dentist for five years.

The party said the SNP is leaving both dentists and patients “in the lurch” and warned some people are resorting to “drastic and barbaric options” to obtain treatment.

The figures show around 1.8 million people, 36.7% of patients registered with an NHS dentist as of September 30 last year, had not received treatment within the past three years, while one in 10 (10.9%) had not been seen for a decade.

The Scottish Government said that since last September it has introduced “significant dental payment reform” with the aim of encouraging dentists to provide more NHS dentistry, and that in the first month following these changes, nearly 400,000 patients were seen by an NHS primary care dentist.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Being registered with a dentist is not a mark of accessibility. These figures expose the reality that under the SNP, more than a third of registered patients haven’t been seen in the last three years, while one in 10 haven’t had a check-up or any treatment for more than a decade.

“Nationalist ministers have put spin before solutions. They have tried to cover up problems with misleading statistics, done next to nothing to help dentistry recover from the pandemic, and left both dentists and patients in the lurch.

“From DIY dentistry to purchasing tools on Amazon to travelling back to war-torn Ukraine for treatment, people are resorting to drastic and barbaric options.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are on the side of everyone queuing up for a dentist and tired of SNP spin. That’s why we have set out plans that would deliver quality, accessible dentistry in every community.

“Those plans would see ministers rewrite their failed NHS recovery plan, prioritise workforce planning and boost the number of dentists taking on NHS patients.”

The figures, from Public Health Scotland, show almost a quarter (24.3%) of those registered have not seen an NHS dentist for five years, amounting to around 1.25 million people.

The Scottish Government said that the data precedes the introduction of NHS dental reform from November 1 2023 and cannot be taken as indicative of participation in the current environment.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “There are a number of reasons why people who are registered with an NHS dentist might choose not to attend, but we strongly advise anyone who has not seen their dentist for over a year to do so.

“We remain committed to improving access to NHS dentistry in Scotland, following the significant interruption posed by the pandemic and – since this snapshot as of 30 September 2023 – have introduced significant dental payment reform with the aim of encouraging dentists to provide more NHS dentistry.

“In the first month following these changes, nearly 400,000 patients were seen by an NHS primary care dentist – early vindication that our reforms are working.

“As well as improving conditions for existing workforce through reform, we also continue to work with our counterparts across the UK and devolved governments to expedite process and bolster the number of dental practitioners working in Scotland now and into the future.”