§ Mr. BeardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children(a) under five and (b) under 10 years old have been treated for dental decay in the NHS in each of the last 10 years. [117946]
§ Mr. HuttonInformation is available for the number of fillings and extractions for which General Dental Service dentists make a payment claim. This is shown in the table for the age groups 0 to four years and five to nine years for England and Wales in 1998–99.
Data on the number of children receiving treatment for fillings and extractions are not available. Some children may have more than one treatment within the year.
Thousand Aged 0-4 years Aged 5-9 years Fillings 104 1,059 Extractions 27 225 Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the relative cost of the use in dentistry of(a) mercury-based amalgams and (b) non-metal-based amalgams; and if he will make a statement. [118403]
§ Mr. HuttonThe table provides the number and cost of general dental services treatments using different restorative materials in England in 1998–99. Dental amalgam is more durable and easier to insert than the other materials.
Treatment Number(Million) Cost (£ million) Amalgam fillings 8.3 91.6 Composite resin fillings 4.9 52.2 Glass ionomer fillings 1.9 20.0 Total 15.0 163.8