How is the SNP improving dentistry services?

We remain committed to sustaining and improving patient access to NHS dental services.

NHS registration is significantly higher in Scotland than in the rest of the United Kingdom, with more than 95% of Scotland’s population registered with an NHS dentist.

The SNP have maintained a strong track record in growing the NHS dental workforce with 57 dentists per 100,000 of the population in Scotland compared to 42.3 in England, and 45.8 in Wales.

Public Health Scotland statistics published in August show that over 1.1 million courses of NHS dental treatment were delivered to patients in the quarter ending June 2025.

This shows that the significant and continuing investment made in NHS dentistry is supporting high volumes of patient access to NHS care and delivering on our aims to sustain NHS dental services.

The SNP is working to incentivise NHS dentistry through payment reform – the most significant change to NHS dentistry since its inception. The new fee structure streamlines payments, cuts bureaucracy and gives dentists greater authority over the treatments offered.

Everyone in Scotland is entitled to free NHS dental examinations, and for some patients all treatment is completely free. Children and young people under 26, pregnant and new mothers, and those claiming certain benefits, receive free care and treatment – around a quarter of all adult NHS dental patients.