Brighton residents still not visiting the dentist (From The Argus)

Brighton residents still not visiting the dentist

12:00pm Friday 27th November 2009

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Thousands of people in Brighton and Hove are putting their health at risk by not going to see a dentist.

A report to the city's health watchdog shows the number of people getting treatment has fallen by almost 7,000 since a controversial system of charging was introduced.

The report says more than 148,000 people went to a dentist in the two years up to September, compared to the more than 154,000 seen in the two years to March 2006, when the old dental contract system ended.

The new contract put PCTs in charge of commissioning local services.

The aim was to give local NHS authorities the power to provide NHS dentists in places where it was difficult to get an appointment.

However, many dentists were unhappy with the switch from payment per item to an annual income for a predetermined amount of treatment and left the NHS altogether.

Research has also shown people in more deprived areas such as Mouslecoomb and Whitehawk, are not getting treatment, partly because of the cost.

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