Four in 10 registered with dentist have not seen one in two years figures show

Nearly 40% of Scots registered with a dentist have not seen one in two years, figures have revealed.

A freedom of information request by the Scottish Liberal Democrats found 39.5% of all those registered with a practice have not been to one in 24 months.

That includes 1.8 million adults and 177,318 children, according to Public Health Scotland.

Another 80,000 children have not seen a dentist in five years.

Meanwhile, more than a quarter of adults (28.8%) who are registered with a dentist have not seen one in five years.

Another 574,387 adults have not seen a dentist in the last decade.

According to NHS Inform, most Scots should see their dentist within a range of around six months to two years.

Separate data released by Public Health Scotland in November found children and adults from poorer backgrounds are less likely to see a dentist than their richer counterparts.

In October, the National Dental Inspection Programme found more than a quarter of all P1 children have tooth decay, with youngsters from poorer backgrounds at much greater risk of having dental issues.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, the leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, said the Government “must finally end the crisis in NHS dentistry”.

He said: “These figures are proof positive that being registered with a dentist is no measure of accessibility.

“An astonishing number of children and adults haven’t had recent dental check-ups or appointments.

“On the SNP’s watch, more than a quarter of P1 pupils are suffering from tooth decay and people are resorting to drastic measures like DIY dentistry, purchasing tools off Amazon to do the job themselves.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats were instrumental in introducing free dental checks, but SNP ministers are unpicking all that good work.

“Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out plans to end dental deserts and bring back local NHS dentists.

“We need to see ministers rewriting their failed NHS recovery plan, prioritising workforce planning and boosting the number of dentists taking on NHS patients.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Almost 95% of the population are registered with an NHS dentist and 60% of those (3.1 million people) have seen a dentist in the last two years.

“Our significant and continued investment in NHS dentistry is supporting high volumes of treatment and ensures more time is spent with patients through enhanced examinations, with 2.6 million being completed between November 2023 and September 2024.”

Published: 05/01/2025 by Radio NewsHub