§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental surgeries offered treatment within the national health service in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992.
§ Dr. MawhinneyInformation is collected on the number of dentists, rather than the number of dental surgeries. The number of dentists practising in the general dental services for each of the years requested is shown in the table.
Year Number of dentists 30 September 1979 12,146 30 September 1983 13,672 30 September 1987 14,765 30 March 1992 15,532 There are 27 per cent. more dentists in the general dental services than in 1979 providing more than 7 million more courses of adult dental treatment, an increase of 43 per cent.