Political opinion: MP for North East Fife calls for action over dentistry crisis

Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain has urged the SNP to end the crisis in NHS dentistry after reports show that only 9.3% of P7 children in Fife received a detailed dental inspection.

The latest data from the National Dental Inspection Programme reveals that only 9.3% of P7 children across Fife have received a detailed dental inspection in the last year. This suggests there has been no improvement in the last two years, with the 2023 figures revealing that 9.4% of P7 children were seen.

The report also shows that out of the children who did receive a dental inspection, an average of 53% of them had either decay, missing teeth or needed fillings – this is considerably higher than the Scottish average of 40%.

In response, Wendy Chamberlain MP said: “These figures are proof that access to proper dental care for children has only gotten worse under the SNP, particularly in Fife where numbers are far worse than the rest of Scotland.

“These figures suggest that more than 3900 P7 children in Fife have not had a detailed dental inspection – which is leaving children with untreated decay and makes the risk of dental problems in adulthood far greater.

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