HC Deb 22 November 2000 vol 357 cc206-7W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentures were provided and fitted by NHS dentists in each year since 1990. [138816]

Mr. Hutton

The table shows the number of treatment items for dentures in the General Dental Service in England from 1990–91 to 1999–2000.

Better oral health in the population has contributed to a decline in the number of people requiring dentures.

General Dental Service: number of denture treatment items, 1990–91 to 1999–2000
England Thousand
Item 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
Metal Based
Full denture upper 17.1 18.3 16.5 14.2 13.4 12.1 11.0 10.5 10.2 9.2
Full denture lower 1.4 1.8 1.6 1.7 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.1 1.0 1.0
Plate design partial denture 56.3 61.8 51.5 43.2 40.5 38.6 33.3 31.0 31.1 29.3
Skeleton design partial denture1 67.7 66.3 58.2 47.1 46.7 43.4 36.4 32.9 32.7 33.3
Skeleton design partial denture2 53.4 51.7 48.7 43.3 43.2 40.2 35.4 31.1 31.5 29.8
Dentures in any other metal 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.2 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0
Total for metal based 197.8 201.6 177.7 150.7 147.0 137.3 119.2 107.9 106.7 102.6
Total denture treatment items 1,184.5 1,248.5 1,175.1 1,056.5 1,028.1 966.7 922.1 892.1 869.9 823.9
1 Single bar
2 Multiple bars

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of dentists from(a) Italy and (b) Greece who are practising in the United Kingdom; what mandatory vocational training is given to dental graduates in these countries before being allowed to practise; and if he will make a statement. [138815]

Mr. Hutton

I am advised that at 1 January 2000 the General Dental Council had accepted onto their register 84 dentists with a primary qualification from Greece and 27 with a primary qualification from Italy. European Community Directive 78–686 makes provision for free movement of European Economic Authority dentists with EEA qualifications and mutual recognition of their qualifications. Although the Directive lays down minimum standards of training, the amount of time devoted to vocational training is a matter for individual member states to determine.