The number of people going to the dentists in Castle Point has plunged.
Clean sweep - Bob Spink MP shows his support for dentists such as Marina Fuller, of Lucy's Dental Practice in Benfleet Picture: ROB BROWNE
New figures show the number of patients registered with NHS dentists across the borough has fallen by five per cent.
Castle Point MP Bob Spink described the situation as a "worrying trend".
Speaking in the House of Commons, he told Health Secretary John Reid: "This is an extremely worrying trend.
"Over recent years the Government has increased its tax by 50 per cent and has invested much of that money in the Health Service, quite rightly.
"We are not however seeing improvements in health that should be expected and it is deeply worrying to see a fall in the number of people registered with a NHS dentist.
"This means fewer people are receiving preventative dentistry care in this most important area of hygiene and health."
However, a spokesperson for the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust revealed part of the reason for this dip could be the number of NHS dentists going private.
The spokesperson said: "A number of former NHS dentists have decided to go private despite our best efforts to persuade them otherwise"
The percentage of people registered with a dentist in the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust area has fallen from 45.5 per cent in 2002, to 40.6 per cent in 2003.
Published Wednesday January 14, 2004
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