Access to dental services in Scotland: an analysis of dentist-population ratios.
OBJECTIVE
To assess inequalities in the availability of NHS dental services between Health Boards in Scotland.


METHODS
Postal questionnaire survey of all dentists (n = 2,852) registered with the General Dental Council at an address in Scotland.


METHODS
Data obtained on NHS working hours were used to model dentist to population (D/P) ratios and primary care D/P ratios corrected for part time working, variation in service productivity and the provision of private services.


RESULTS
A total of 2,134 completed questionnaires (74.8%) were received. There was a wide variation in D/P ratios between Health Boards. Dumfries & Galloway and Grampian had the lowest, and Tayside and Greater Glasgow the highest D/P ratios, irrespective of method of calculation. The corrected D/P ratios for the other Health Boards were more similar than was suggested by the simple ratios of registered dentists to population size.


CONCLUSIONS
There was considerable variation in the availability of NHS dental practitioners between Health Boards. Simple ratios of registered dentists to population size can mask the true availability of specific dental services such as NHS dental care.
Department of Oral Health Services Research and Dental Public Health, King's College London Dental Institute, Caldecot Road, London, UK.
J T
JT
Newton
A C
AC
Williams
E J
EJ
Bower
D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003815:Dentists / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D012606:Scotland; D013218:State Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce