The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing health inequalities across all areas of Scotland. Despite a significant improvement in oral health in adults in Scotland over the last 40 years, the SNP is committed to take further measures to address the additional pressures Covid-19 has placed on our dental services.
Health and deprivation are intimately connected issues. This is why the SNP Scottish Government has taken an ambitious and multidisciplinary approach to tackle oral health inequalities such as the Oral Health Improvement Plan, which in 2018 introduced personalised care plans on evidence-based individual needs assessments.
Since the SNP came into office, the number of people registered with an NHS dentist has almost doubled. In 2018/2019, the SNP Scottish Government made available £500,000, through the Community Challenge Fund, for organisations in deprived communities to support better oral health.
Fiona Hyslop