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Dental figures cause for concern

More than a quarter (26%) of people in England does not see a dentist once every two years, according to figures from the Healthcare Commission.

The survey of 69,000 people found that in some primary care trusts this figure rose to 43%.

Under guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence, the longest period an adult should go without visiting a dentist is two years.

Fifty per cent of respondents said they visited an NHS dentist this regularly, while 24% did so as a non-NHS patient.

The survey also found that 79% of those who did not receive NHS dentistry would like to be able to do so, with this figure ranging from 54% to 88% across trusts.

Ann Walker, chief executive of the Healthcare Commission, said: "Regular dental treatment is important for maintaining good oral hygiene. If a large proportion of people do not receive this treatment regularly, we could be facing a significant national health problem in years to come."

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