Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the percentage of children participating in the General Dental Service fell from 97% in September 2007 to 63.9% in September 2021.
Due to the onset of the pandemic in Scotland all routine dental services ceased from 23 March 2020, with emergency and urgent dental care being provided by dedicated urgent dental care centres from NHS Boards.
The majority of dental services require the use of an aerosol which carries a higher risk of viral transmission. Dental services operated under specific infection, prevention and control measures for two years to April 2022.