§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to train more people in(a) prosthetics and (b) orthodontics. [172396]
§ Mr. HuttonThe number of training places in prosthetics and orthodontics has increased from 28 to 30 between 1996–97 and 2002–03 and the workforce review team annually reviews the need for increases in training for all the allied health professions.
Information on the number of consultants and doctors in training in orthodontics is shown in the table. The Department has centrally funded two more training posts in orthodontics in 2004–05, bringing the total training posts in place to 31. The number of dentists electing to train in specialties like orthodontics is related to the number of undergraduates training as dentists relative to the demand for dental care. We have recently completed the first review of the dental workforce since 1987 and will shortly be announcing the results including the implications for the intake of undergraduates to dental schools in England.