Record numbers of residents are registered with an NHS dentist, according to new statistics published yesterday.
Figures from the Information Services Division (ISD) show the number of patients registered has doubled since 2007, with continuing improvement.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which includes East Renfrewshire, showed 99 per cent of all ages were registered with an NHS dentist.
The lowest rate was for babies aged up to two, when the rate was 52.5 per cent.
It increases after that age, connected with youngsters going to school and being seen as part of the National Dental Inspection Programme.
The figures are nearly identical for East Renfrewshire’s health and social partnership area.
The number of adults registered with an NHS dentist have climbed from just over 40 per cent back in 2000 to nearly 100 per cent by 2019.
Scotland’s Public Health Minister, Joe FitzPatrick, said residents should ensure they “take regular advantage of their right to a free dental check.”
He added: “Substantial investment by the Scottish Government, along with actions taken by NHS boards, means that nearly twice as many people were registered for NHS dental services at September 2019 than was the case in September 2007.
“Improving people’s dental health can contribute greatly to wellbeing but they need to be able to access NHS dental services. Having your teeth actually checked is key.”
Across Scotland, 95.7 per cent of 5.4 million Scots were registered with an NHS dentist as of September 30 last year.
Similar rates were recorded for both children and adults but it was higher in the most deprived areas (99.3 per cent of adults) compared to the least deprived areas (90.2 per cent).
The figures don’t record private dental registrations.
But the number of patients having seen a dentist from more deprived areas was lower than those from better-off areas.
Seven out of 10 patients saw a dentist within the past two years, with a higher proportion of children in that time than adults.
Some of the calculations are based on population estimates, so show in the statistical tables as more than 100 per cent registration.
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