Pilot programme launched to help more children access NHS dental care

Changes to the way child NHS patients access dental practices could be made in a bid to prevent tooth decay.

In August, the NHS Information Centre released statistics showing that 26,000 fewer children had been able to access a dentist in the twelve months prior to June this year compared to the twelve months prior to March 2006.

A trial programme is running across 68 dental practices in an attempt to find ways at increasing patient access.

Pushing preventative dental treatments such as fluoride varnish to help prevent tooth decay in children will also be explored.

The pilot programme will test if changes to the dental contract to find whether dentists being paid for the number of patients they care for rather than the number of courses of treatment they perform will lead to a higher quality of care.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “It is vital that patients receive high quality dental care and we are committed to promoting good oral health and preventing dental decay, especially in children.

“The Government believes dentists should get paid for the quality of treatment they provide rather than simply for the number of treatments. This is not only better for patients, but also a better use of NHS resources.

“The pilot sites will test different ways of putting this approach into practice. What we learn from this process will inform the new contract.”