Dentists and ethnic minority communities.

Abstract

It is estimated that 4.5% of the UK population originates from the New Commonwealth and Pakistan (NCWP). However, the distribution is not equal. For instance, two-thirds of all young children in the inner wards of Birmingham, and one-third of those in inner London, have parents who were born in the NCWP. Uptake of dental services is reported to be low in some inner city areas. There, as elsewhere, dental care needs to be accessible, acceptable and appropriate. But how are these objectives best achieved?