Dentistry

Sandra Gidley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ensure that dental appliances originating from foreign suppliers are subject to the same standards as those manufactured in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones) on 20 June 2006, Official Report, column 1799W.

Mr. Gale
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to monitor the quantity and quality of single-tooth dentures imported from countries outside the European Union.

Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 12 July 2006]: The Medical Devices Regulations 2002, for which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) acts as the regulatory authority on behalf of the Secretary of State, does not regulate the quantity of dentures imported from countries outside the European Union. They do, though, contain requirements for the safety and fitness for purpose of custom-made dental appliances which all manufacturers, wherever they are based, should ensure are met before placing their dentures on the United Kingdom market. Where the manufacturer is based outside the European Community they are also required under the regulations to appoint an authorised representative to register on their behalf with the member state competent authority where they have their registered place of business. MHRA conducts an annual programme of inspections of custom made appliance manufacturers and authorised representatives based in the UK, selected at random.

Mr. Gale
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of the replacement of crowns by single-tooth dentures on long-term dental health;

(2) what change there has been in the number of (a) single-tooth dentures and (b) single-tooth crowns provided since the introduction of the new dental contract.

Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 12 July 2006]: It is for individual dentists working under general dental services contracts or personal dental services agreements to use their clinical judgment to determine the type and quality of any dental appliance required. The Department does not collect routine information on the quantity or type of dental appliances supplied but will be assessing, in conjunction with the implementation review group, the impact of the new contractual arrangements on this and other aspects of the services provided to national health service patients.

Mr. Gale
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there was in the number of (a) single tooth dentures and (b) single-tooth crowns provided during the dental contract pilot schemes between 2004 and 2006.

Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 12 July 2006]: The table shows the number of single tooth dentures, including incomplete dentures, single tooth crowns, and temporary and incomplete crowns, in personal dental services (PDS) pilots between 2004 and 2005.

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|Year ending                            |Single tooth dentures|Single tooth crown claims|
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|March 2004                             |1,244                |6,488                    |
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|March 2005                             |5,403                |36,396                   |
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|March 2006                             |19,379               |127,767                  |
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|Source: NHS Business Services Authority|                     |                         |
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|Year ending                            |PDS dentists|
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|March 2004                             |917         |
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|March 2005                             |3,665       |
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|March 2006                             |6,219       |
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|Source: NHS Business Services Authority|            |
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