The number of patients registered with NHS dentists in Sussex has risen by more than two per cent.

Figures published yesterday show 748,068 adults and children were registered in March this year. That is 2.3 per cent more than in 2005.

But, despite the increase, the number of people signed up to NHS dentists is still much lower than in 1997, when 818,826 patients in the county were registered.

The biggest increases in Sussex were in Crawley, which saw the number registered climb by 28 per cent from 34,746 to 44,769, and in West Worthing, which recorded an 18 per cent increase from 41,857 to 49,599. The biggest decline was in Chichester, where registered patients fell from 45,927 to 41,280.

Across England, patients registered with NHS dentists rose from 24.1 million to 24.7 million, a rise of 2.4 per cent.

Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat Health spokeswoman, said: "These misleading figures do not reflect the Government's incompetent reforms of NHS dentistry.

"They do not take into account the thousands of dentists who have left the NHS this year because of the Government's botched new dental contract. How can the Government claim that access to an NHS dentist will be easier when so many dentists are in dispute with their reforms?"

A Department of Health spokesman said: "About nine in ten dentists have signed new contracts - and these dentists currently provide about 96 per cent of NHS services."