Chamber and committees

The figures requested are as follows:

Actual 1997-98	Actual 1998-99	Actual 1999-2000	Budget 2000-01
7,415,635	8,090,992	8,590,525	8,835,984

I understand that Greenpeace in Germany claim to have found tributyl tin (TBT) in disposable babies' nappies. The levels reported do not appear to give rise to a risk of harm, but, as a precautionary measure, the UK is conducting research into TBT in UK consumer products, including nappies.

A wide-ranging document on children's oral health will seek views on fluoridation of public water supplies, as well as other options such as fluoride tablets and fluoridated drinks.

The early years enhanced capitation scheme has been introduced to pay dentists enhanced monthly capitation fees for registering 0-2 year old children on the NHS, with the level of fee paid linked to the category of deprivation of the area where the child lives. Enhanced capitation fees are also paid to dentists registering 3-5 year olds in the lowest deprivation categories.

A number of local schemes are in place in Scotland, mainly involving health visitors, which seek to encourage mothers to register their babies and toddlers on the NHS with a dentist. Health education programmes with nurseries, playgroups and schools are also under way to encourage registration and attendance. In addition, school screening by the community dental service has been extended to nurseries to identify oral disease and encourage registration.

In 1999 the Scottish Executive set up a working group to review workforce requirements for dentistry. Initial findings will shortly be published in the discussion document Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland - A Strategic Review. This report will identify the number of dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental therapists and dental technicians recommended to be trained in Scotland.

Following the publication of this report, discussion will occur with educational bodies, health boards and Trusts on how to develop appropriate training courses and pathways for all the professions complementary to dentistry in Scotland.

A review group was also established in 1999 to consider workforce planning and education issues for the professions complimentary to dentistry, including dental nurses.

Provision of general dental services is kept under review by health boards and Primary Care NHS Trusts. It is open to them to plan the establishment of drop-in centres for dental care in response to local needs.

It is currently estimated that less than 50% of the 3,500 dental nurses working in Scotland have formal qualifications. The Scottish Executive is consulting with health boards, Primary Care Trusts and educational organisations on how to facilitate courses for dental nurses throughout Scotland which lead to formal qualifications.

A review group to plan the education and training for professions complimentary to dentist's including dental nurses was established in 1999 to consider workforce planning and education issues for this group of the dental workforce.

The Scottish Executive has published within its Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland proposals to fund enhanced capitation payments (including fissure sealants) for children in deprivation categories 5, 6 and 7.

In the majority of health boards such targeting will limit these treatments to between 30-50% of the child population.

However, in rural and remote health boards such as Highland and Western Isles deprivation indices are not an accurate tool for targeting resources and the Scottish Executive will discuss with health boards and the British Dental Association how to appropriately target such services based on clinical criteria and/or social background.

The two dental clinical guidelines were distributed by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in March. Further guidelines will follow. Discussions are ongoing with professional organisations on how to take forward the next set of guidelines on sedation, pre-school dental treatment and orthodontics as highlighted in the Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland, published in August 2000 by the Scottish Executive.

A wealth of materials is available to support teachers in the delivery of health education. In particular the Health Education for Living Project (HELP), distributed to schools in 1995 and updated in 1998, is a curriculum framework for health education designed for use with all stages, from pre-school to S6. Oral and dental health issues are addressed at appropriate stages throughout HELP.

Dentists are paid to provide oral health advice under the capitation fees they receive monthly for each child registered with them on the NHS. The Scottish Executive is particularly keen to ensure that dentists take adequate time to provide advice on nutrition and oral health to child patients and their parents living in deprived areas. Consequently, there are enhanced monthly capitation fees for dentists registering all 0-2 year olds, with a sliding scale to recognise the greater challenge faced by dentists in more deprived areas, and registering 3-5 year olds in the most deprived areas and advising these children on behaviours which will promote oral health throughout life. The Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland which was published on 18 August includes a proposal to introduce an enhanced capitation payment scheme for 6-8 year olds in the most deprived areas including the fissure sealing of the first molars of these children and the provision of oral health advice and instruction.