Published at 15:46, Wednesday, 25 August 2010

MORE than half of the people in Cumbria now have access to an NHS dentist, latest figures show.

The number remains below the 2006 level, which was before changes to dentists’ contracts led to many dentists leaving the NHS to go into private practice.

The figures show that 52.4 per cent of Cumbria’s population saw an NHS dentist in the two years up to June 2010.

This equates to 47.9 per cent of all adults and 70.1 per cent of the county’s children.

In March 2006, before the dental contracts changed, the total figure was 58.7 per cent – 54.1 per cent of adults and 76.3 per cent of children.

NHS Cumbria has been trying to recruit more dentists to address the situation.

The number of dental providers in the county has increased by 2.4 per cent over the last two years.

New dental practices have opened in Whitehaven, Egremont, Workington, Maryport and Kendal.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk