A YORK dentist has slammed a report which claims patients are having too-frequent check-ups and are undergoing unnecessary treatments.

Dr John Robson, chairman of the Selby and York Primary Care Trust Oral Health Group and former president of the British Dental Association, said the Audit Commission's report published on Thursday was an "insult to the profession" and flies in the face of scientific research.

The commission reported that the NHS was wasting more than £150 million a year on unnecessary dental check-ups and treatment and that scaling and polishing, which accounts for 11 per cent of expenditure, rarely prevents or cures gum disease.

It also said that while six-monthly check-ups were recommended, most experts agree that adults with generally good teeth needed a check-up only once every two to three years.

Mr Robson said: "The hypocrisy of the Government is beyond belief. On one hand the Department of Health is urging preventative dentistry, while on the other the Audit Commission is complaining about the wastage of £137 million on scaling and polishes and "unnecessary" check-ups.

"Dentists prescribe treatment based on patients' needs. The most common problem experienced is gum disease, which is severely aggravated by the presence of tartar, creating inflammation and infection.

"If left unchecked it will cause pain, loose teeth, loss of teeth, the necessity for dentures etc.

"Whilst £137 million sounds a lot of money, it averages £6 per year for each patient registered with the NHS - hardly a king's ransom.

"For the Audit Commission to suggest dentists are doing unnecessary treatment is an insult to the profession and the consenting patients who generally dislike visiting the surgery, but realise it's necessary for a comfortable and safe lifestyle."

The British Dental Health Foundation has also criticised the Audit Commission report.

The charity said that only a patient's dentist can decide how often they need a check-up based on their medical history and it is concerned that some people might avoid a necessary visit to the dentist because of the report,

However, the Foundation welcomed the commission's support for more emphasis on preventative dental care, and for ways to make it easier for local decisions to be taken to fluoridate the water supply.

It is supported the commission's call for an end to the current NHS system of payments for dental work.

The Foundation said that the piecework system was directly responsible for many dentists leaving the NHS, causing the current crisis in access to NHS dentistry in some parts of the country.

Updated: 12:06 Monday, September 23, 2002