NHS dental care is now free in Scotland for those aged under 26

Young people in Scotland under the age of 26 are now eligible for free NHS dental care treatment

The free dental care service will also cover those who had started a longer NHS course of treatment before their 26th birthday.

The free treatment is available immediately with no “opt in” requirement.

The change comes as the Scottish Government allocated a further £7.5 million in funding to support the dental sector.

The government said the funding will also help dental practices purchase drills that do not create as much aerosol as standard drills, allowing dentists to help mitigate the impact of Covid restrictions on the number of patients they can see.

This comes after the number of young people who have taken up smoking increased by a quarter during the first COVID-19 lockdown, new research suggests. A study funded by Cancer Research found that hundreds of thousands more people smoked compared to before the pandemic hit.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the changes were just the first step on a journey to making dental treatments free to all in Scotland.

He said: “We’re committed to scrapping NHS dental charges for everyone in Scotland, and removing them for everyone aged under 26 is our first step on that journey. Today’s announcement means around 600,000 young people aged under 26 will benefit from free dental care from August 24.

“I want to thank the dental sector for its outstanding efforts over the last challenging period and I look forward to engaging with you further as the Scottish Government continues to support practice recovery and improved NHS dental services for patients.

He continued by saying:

“I am pleased to also confirm a further £7.5 million investment for the sector. This will be used to purchase new dental drill equipment that produces less airborne particles, and therefore helps reduce the risk of Covid transmission.

“Alongside our previously announced £5 million to improve ventilation, this will further enable dental practices to see more NHS patients under present Covid restrictions, and demonstrates our commitment to NHS dental services. I will continue to engage with the sector, as we look to remobilise our dental services in a way that is safe.”

This comes after the UK health regulator has approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for 12 to 17-year-olds. It is now up to the JCVI to advise the UK government on whether or not children within this age group should be given the Moderna vaccination.

Within the first 100 days of the current Scottish Government, initial plans only involved removing charges from those aged 18-26 from care-experienced backgrounds.

However, they have now delivered Scotland’s to young people an additional investment of £7.5 million, which supports the dental sector to recover, and expanding the scrapping of dental charges well ahead of schedule.

Dentists are to receive a further £7.5m of funding, with the government cash allowing practices to buy new drills, which do not generate as much aerosol as standard drills, reducing the risks of spreading Covid-19.

The Scottish Government said the free treatment “exceeds the commitment” made to remove the NHS patient charges for care-experienced young people.

It also cautioned: “It is not yet business as usual and dental practices still need to prioritise people with urgent dental problems and those in most need of treatment.

“Unless your situation is urgent, it may be some time before your dental practice can see you.”