The Scottish Government is providing £5m for dentists to help them see more patients in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The money will allow NHS dental practices to purchase, renew or upgrade their ventilation equipment – which means they can reduce the time they have to wait between treating patients.
The cash should therefore allow more patients to be seen safely.
Health secretary Humza Yousaf also pledged the government will continue to fund personal protective equipment (PPE) for the sector, increasing it by up to 50% from next month.
Dental services were largely halted when coronavirus hit Scotland last year, and many practices are still operating at a reduced level due to safety regulations.
Yousaf said: “The remobilisation of the NHS is one of our number one priorities and the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that NHS dental services emerge from this pandemic well-placed to care for the oral health of the population.
“This new funding is an important step in ensuring the continued remobilisation of NHS dental services and to ensure more patients can be seen safely.
“We will also continue to fund free PPE for the dental sector and from July, we will increase it by up to 50%.
“We are continuing to work with the sector to provide much-needed support to fully remobilise dental services.”
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