The table shows the number of dental practice postcodes in England where payments for NHS dental treatment were claimed between 1 January and 31 December each year.
Adults only Children only Adults and children Total 1998 154 74 8,013 8,241 2005 169 136 8,355 8,660 Notes: 1. Data are for claims scheduled in the specified calendar years in both General Dental Services (CDS) and Personal Dental Services (PDS). 2. Children are defined as patients under 18 years on the date of acceptance for treatment. 3. There may be more than one practice at a postcode. 4. Data include notifications up to 12 October 2006. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care NHS Business Services Authority (BSA)
The numbers of primary care dentists on open national health service (NHS) contracts are collected and published quarterly. The latest information shows that there were 19,462 dentists (performers) on open NHS contracts as at 30 June 2006 in England.
The final workforce information under the old contractual arrangements (as at 31 March 2006) showed that there were 21,111 dentists on open NHS contracts in England.
This comparison does not provide a reliable guide to the level of NHS dental services available. This depends not only on numbers of dentists but also, more importantly, on the amount of NHS work that they carry out. The aforementioned figures are consistent with the Department's estimate that around one in 10 dentists chose not to take up new NHS contracts from 1 April 2006, but management information indicates that these dentists carried out only around 4 per cent. of NHS dental services. Since 1 April 2006, primary care trusts have commissioned significant additional levels of NHS dentistry, more than making up for the 4 per cent. of services associated with dentists who did not take up new contracts.
Further information is available in reports published by The Information Centre for health and social care.
Statistical information on the new contracts (quarter 1, June 2006) is available at:
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstatsq2o6.
Historical statistical information on the former General Dental Services contract and Personal Dental Services pilots is available at:
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity.
The number of undergraduates admitted to dental schools varies depending upon the number of students who meet the entry criteria offered to them by the school. The table shows the number of home and European dental students admitted to English dental schools and the number of general dental services (CDS) and personal dental services (PDS) dentists in England, as at 30 September each year.
Students admitted to dental schools Number of dentists 1986 620 14,516 1987 621 14,765 1988 612 15,070 1989 585 15,351 1990 556 15,401 1991 580 15,433 1992 606 15,391 1993 638 15,765 1994 664 15,876 1995 627 15,944 1996 685 16,320 1997 631 16,670 1998 603 17,199 1999 600 17,755 2000 623 18,167 2001 626 18,722 2002 665 18,946 2003 672 19,260 2004 670 19,722 2005 848 20,890 Notes: 1. Information regarding the numbers of dentists was provided by The Information Centre for health and social care and NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA). 2. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Information on NHS dentistry in the community dental services, in prisons or in hospitals is not included. Dental services provided privately are also excluded from the data. 3. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending on the date the figures are compiled. This is because the NHS BSA may be notified of joiners or leavers to or from the GDS or PDS up to several months, or more, after the move has taken place. Information is up to date as at 13 October 2006. 4. Numbers are based on national health service dentists on primary care trust (PCT) lists. Under the previous system of GDS (prior to 1 April 2006), a dentist could provide as much or as little NHS treatment as he or she chose. Since 1 April 2006, the level of dentistry provided depends on the contract with the PCT. In some cases, an NHS dentist may appear on a PCT list but not perform any NHS work in that period. Most NHS dentists do some private work. These data do not take into account the proportion of NHS work undertaken by dentists. 5. PDS dentistry started in October 1998.