Report to the People
21st November 2005
Filling
the Cavities
After all the talk about
drinking during Wednesday’s proceedings on the Licensing Bill, MSPs rinsed
their mouths out on Thursday with a debate on NHS dentistry.
It’s only right, as
Ministers made clear during the debate, that dentists who treat NHS patients are
properly rewarded - and the £295 million extra investment in dental care will
certainly help do this. And, when
bad teeth, like most ill health, disproportionately affects the poorest people,
giving dentists financial inducements to work in deprived communities also makes
sense.
Welcome as this is, however,
you can’t ignore one fact. In
Greenock we don’t have people being forced to anaesthetise themselves with a
bottle of whisky before pulling their own teeth out with pliers.
Indeed, the dentist across the road from my constituency office is
currently expanding and has been actively seeking new NHS patients.
But, despite this, a combination of our love of sugary drinks and our
dislike of the dentist means our teeth are still in poor shape.
Also, not enough children are
being registering with a dentist and getting into the habit of regular
check-ups. In fact, a study carried
out by the Phoenix Community Health Project last year found that people were
unsure about where, when and with whom to register a child.
So it’s not just about how
much we pay NHS dentists to stop them going private. It’s about how we make sure everyone realises the
importance of their smile and knows how to look after it.
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