§ Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she can give the most recent annual figures to show the cost of dental treatment per annum to children under the age of 16 years; and what would be the cost of giving each of these children topical fluoride application under the National Health Service.
§ Dr. OwenIn the year ending 31st December 1973 the cost of dental treatment, including clinical and radiographic372W examination, provided through the general dental services in England for patients under 16 years of age was £24.2 million. It is not possible to identify the further costs of provision through the school service, where treatment was provided for 1.3 million children, and the hospital service.
As no fee has been negotiated for the topical application of fluoridation compounds under the general dental services it is not possible to estimate the cost of providing such treatment for children. Whatever the cost, it could be achieved within existing resources only at the expense of other treatment needed to render patients dentally fit.