HL Deb 18 December 2002 vol 642 cc114-6WA
Lord Colwyn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the cost to the General Dental Service in 1999, 2000 and 2001 for:

  1. (a) the total number of fillings placed;
  2. (b) the total number of permanent teeth that were filled for the first time;
  3. (c) the total number of deciduous teeth that were filled; and
  4. (d) the total number of existing fillings that were replaced. [HL511]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The fee cost of fillings given in the General Dental Service (GDS) is shown in the table for all fillings and for deciduous fillings for the years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 for England. Also is shown in the table for all fillings is net fee cost that is cost after deducting patient charges. For fillings in deciduous teeth there is no patient charge, gross and net costs are the same.

A breakdown of these costs between first fillings in teeth and replacement fillings is not available.

General Dental Service: Fee cost of dental fillings in the GDS for 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02
England £ million
Year All fillings1 Deciduous teeth fillings2
1998–99 218.6(126) 9.3
1999–2000 222.2(127) 9.7
2000–01 220.6(125) 10.1
1. Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR) items; 14, 58 (apart from f and g), 4401, 4405 and 6001. Net cost estimates, ie gross fee costs after deducting patient charges are in brackets.
2. Deciduous teeth fillings covers SDR items 4401, 4405 and 6001.

Lord Colwyn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of the total number of fillings placed in 1999, 2000 and 2001 were:

(a) one surface;

General Dental Services: Expenditure claims for fillings by Statement of Dental Remuneration fee item for the years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02: England
Thousands
SDR Item Code Treatment description 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
1401,5811 Amalgam filling—1 surface 2,423 2,335 2,197
1402,5812 Amalgam filling—2 or more surfaces 498 477 456
1403,5813 1 MO or DO filling—2 or more surfaces 4,138 4,050 3,879
1404,5814 1 MOD filling—3 or more surfaces 1,586 1,513 1,411
1421,5821 Composite synthetic resin filling—1 filling 4,173 4,280 4,271
Composite/synthetic resin filling—2 or more fillings 357 370 362
1426,5826 Glass ionomer filling—1 filling 1,877 1,827 1,779
Glass ionomer filling—2 or more fillings 79 77 79
4401,6001 Filling in a deciduous tooth 1,479 1,482 1,476
4405 Treatment on referral: a deciduous filling 62 72 71

Notes:

MO = Mesio-occlusal filling which involves the biting surface and front (mesial) contact point.

DO = Disto-occlusal which involves the biting surface and back (distal) contact point.

Lord Colwyn

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the total number of referrals from the General Dental Service to community care or hospital care for patients who needed specialist treatment and care. [HL513]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Information on referrals from the General Dental Service to community care or hospital care is not available centrally.

100,400 episodes of care carried out by the Community Dental Service had been referred from other dentists. Other dentists include GDS dentists.

The total number of in-patient admissions to hospital for treatment which included oral surgery, restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dental medicine are included in the table. These admissions include referrals originating from the GDS. Treatment of outpatients is not included.

Hospital admissions for treatment for oral surgery, restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dental medicine, 2001–02: England
thousand
Dental Speciality Number of Admissions
Oral Surgery 191.5
Restorative Dentistry 2.2

(b) two surfaces;

(c) three surfaces or more; and

(d) root lesions. [HL512]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The information which is available for fillings in the General Dental Service is for expenditure claims for the fee items in the statement of dental remuneration (SDR). The number of fillings by SDR fee item is shown in the table for England for the years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02.

Most fee items do not specify precisely the number of tooth surfaces so a breakdown of the total number of claims for fillings by the number of tooth surfaces is not available.

Root lesions are usually treated with glass ionomer fillings and account for most of the treatment under fee items 1426 or 5826 although these fee items can also cover other treatments.

Hospital admissions for treatment for oral surgery, restorative dentistry, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dental medicine, 2001–02: England
thousand
Dental Speciality Number of Admissions
Paediatric Dentistry 9.3
Orthodontics 0.6
Dental Medicine 1.0
All Dental Specialities 204.6

Source:

Hospital Episode Statistics

Forward to