- Published
- 30 January 2023
- Journal article
Inequalities in access to NHS primary care dental services in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Authors
- Source
- British Dental Journal
Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access and inequalities in primary care dental services among children and adults in Scotland.
Methods: Access was measured as any NHS Scotland primary care dental contacts derived from administrative data from January 2019 to May 2022, linked to the area-based Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) for children and adults, and related to population denominator estimates from National Record Scotland. Inequalities for pre-pandemic (January 2019 – January 2020) and recent (December 2021 – February 2022 and March 2022 – May 2022) periods for both children and adults were calculated and compared using the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII).
Results: Following the first lockdown (March 2020) there was a dramatic fall to near zero dental contacts, followed by a slow recovery to 64.8% of pre-pandemic levels by May 2022. There was initial widening of relative inequalities in dental contacts in early 2022, which, more recently, had begun to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Conclusion: COVID-19 had a major impact on access to NHS primary dental care, and while inequalities in access are apparent as services recover from lockdown, these inequalities are not a new phenomenon.
Rights
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Cite as
Aminu, A., McMahon, A., Clark, C., Sherriff, A., Buchanan, C., Watling, C., Mahmoud, A., Culshaw, S., MacKay, W., Gorman, M., Braid, R., Edwards, M. & Conway, D. 2023, 'Inequalities in access to NHS primary care dental services in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic', British Dental Journal. https://uws.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/1851f648-b26c-4a75-b234-cc51eb327b8a