More patients seen: more women working
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- Published: Friday, 24 August 2012 10:38
- Written by News Editor
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The number of dental patients seen under the NHS continues to grow. 1.4 million more were seen in the two years to June 2012 compared with 2006. As a percentage of the adult and child populations the rise is more modest. Courses of treatment including a fluoride varnish continue to rise for both adults and children. The number of female dentists working showed an increase during the last year.
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The annual statistics for NHS dental treatment (NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2011/12) have been published by the NHS Information Centre (www.ic.nhs.uk).
A total of 29.6 million patients were seen in the 24 month period ending June 2012, an increase of 1.4 million on the March 2006 baseline, and 0.4 million more than the 24 month period ending June 2011 (55.8 per cent of the population). Latest figures represent 56.6 per cent of the population compared with the March 2006 baseline of 55.8 per cent.
7.8 million children (70.7 per cent) were seen by an NHS dentist in the 24 months to June 2012. This is 0.4 percentage points (42 thousand) more than figure of 70.4 per cent for June 2011, but the same as the figures for the March 2006 baseline.
There were 39.6 million Courses of Treatment (CoTs) in 2011/12, an increase of 326 thousand (0.8 per cent) on 2010/11. CoTs rose for each treatment band in 2011/12 compared with 2010/11, however figures for the fourth quarter 2011/12 represent a decrease of 156 thousand (1.5 per cent) compared with the same period in 2010/11. The changes in activity for Units of Dental Activity (UDA) are similar to those for CoTs.
CoTs including a fluoride varnish continue to rise for both adults (by 43.3 per cent to 480 thousand) and children (by 63.5 per cent to 1.4 million). For children this is now the third most common treatment item, behind examination and fillings and sealant restorations, with 13.1 per cent of child CoTs containing this treatment item.
Almost 23 thousand dentists performed NHS activity during 2011/12, an increase of 121 (0.5 per cent) on 2010/11.
There was a 2.8 per cent increase in the number of female dentists in the last year and a continued increase in the percentage of dentists who are female. In 2011/12 this percentage had risen to 44.5 per cent, up from 38.8 per cent in 2006/07 and 43.5 per cent in 2010/11.
Under 35’s is the only age group where females have a higher share of dentists than males. In this age group 55.4 per cent of dentists were females in 2011/12, up from 55.2 the previous year and 51.8 per cent in 2006/07.
The report covers work carried out by ‘high street dentists’, who account for the majority of dental activity and work undertaken by dentists under vocational training. The publication does not cover dental services provided privately.
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