Are NHS dental practices socioeconomically distributed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

Aim To investigate the relationship between deprivation and distance to NHS dental providers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Methods A total of 1,795 NHS dental practices were located at the smallest geographic areas for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to overlay the distribution of dental practices with areas graded by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and population census from 2011. Results In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 15%, 17.8% and 27.5% of the population lived outside 2.5 km of an NHS dental practice, respectively. NHS dental clinics were distributed mostly among people that lived in IMD 1 and 5 areas across the respective deprivation measures of all three nations. There were negligible differences in area-based deprivation measures and NHS dental clinic distribution. Conclusion NHS dental practices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were not socioeconomically distributed, suggesting an equitable spatial availability of services based on need.