A fifth of Orcadians going without NHS dental care

More than a fifth of Orkney adults are not registered with an NHS dentist, statistics from Scotland’s Information Services Division (IDS) have revealed — the second lowest of any health board in the country.

But Orkney’s health board claims that continued efforts are being made to improve access to oral healthcare, with one of the county’s private dentists set to open his books to NHS patients.

As of January, only 78.7 per cent of adults in the county were registered with an NHS practice, compared with the Scottish average of 87.9 per cent. The only health authority ranking lower was the Western Isles at 75.9 per cent registration.

Though today’s figures may appear stark when compared on a national level, they actually reveal a significant level of improvement for dentistry in Orkney.

A decade ago, less than half of the county’s adults were registered, and going back another five years sees that figure drop to just 19 per cent.

NHS Orkney’s clinical dental director, Jay Wragg, says he and his colleague are continuing to see an improvement in registration numbers.

“Registrations with an NHS dentist on Orkney have shown a progressive increase quarter by quarter for the last five years,” he explained.

“From 13,682 at the start of 2013, to just over 18,000 by the end of 2018, this improvement in access is a significant achievement and NHS Orkney would like to thank all those involved.”

Meanwhile, children’s dental services in Orkney continue to thrive, with 92.4 per cent of the county’s children registered with an NHS dentist — up on the Scottish average of 91.8 per cent.

Orkney has frequently taken the crown for children’s dental health, boasting the highest percentage of P1 and P7 children with no obvious signs of tooth decay.

For Orcadians still struggling to find an NHS dentist, Mr Wragg was pleased to announce that a private practice, Deyanov Dental, in Kirkwall will soon be opening its books to NHS patients.