A health board has kicked off an online oral health advice service to help patients who are struggling to access NHS dentistry.
The move was made by NHS Dumfries and Galloway as thousands face travelling outside the region to access NHS dental care.
The website offers oral health tips, including how to brush your teeth and healthy eating habits.
But the health board emphasised that the web page is not intended as a substitute for in-person treatment.
Improve access
Alison Milne, director of dentistry, said: ‘We understand the frustrations faced by our community members who are unable to access dental services easily.
‘While we are working closely with colleagues at Scottish government and local dentists to improve access to NHS dental services, we also recognise the importance of reminding local people of the steps they can take to maintain their oral health.
‘Through this new website, we want to equip individuals with the knowledge and resources needed to maintain their oral health until they can receive professional dental care.’
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Milne added: ‘If you are registered with a dentist we encourage individuals to seek regular check-ups as they are able to do so, and to consult with dental professionals for personalised advice and treatment.’
This comes as the Health Secretary quoted inaccurate figures on the number of dentists carrying out NHS dentistry, sparking calls for better data.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay claimed that ‘around two thirds of dentists do not go on to do NHS work’ when discussing the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
Inaccurate claims
However he was meant to say ‘around one third of dentists do not do NHS work’, according to a ministerial correction on the UK parliament Hansard.
The inaccurate claim that ‘two thirds’ of dentists do not work in the NHS after training was quoted to support a potential new policy to encourage dental graduates to work within the NHS.
Put forward in the workforce plan, it suggested NHS England would ‘explore measures with the government such as a tie-in period to encourage dentists to spend a minimum proportion of their time delivering NHS care in the years following graduation’.
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