Patients seeking dental help from GP

Patients are turning to their GPs for dental health help because they are unable to secure treatment at a dentist, a new report has claimed.

The National Association of Primary Care surveyed 26 practices and discovered 78 per cent admitted using their consultations to treat dental problems.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents admitted seeing at least two dental cases each week and the remainder acknowledged seeing at least one case a month.

Maggie Marum, consultant at the National Association of Primary Care, told online news resource the Pulse that the findings are concerning.

“This survey identifies some serious concerns about the availability of general dental services, particularly in relation to the provision for children,” she asserted.

Her comments come shortly after a report published in the Daily Mail which suggested dentists are under pressure from the local primary care trusts not to treat children.

The publication carried comments alleging that as children do not pay any money towards their treatment, they are being put off in favour of patients who have to pay for their appointments.