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Dept of Health

Answer

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will calculate the rise in the cost of palladium-based precious metals used in dental appliances over the last 10 years; and if he will calculate the percentage change in the palladium-based precious metals claimed for by dentists from the NHS over the last 10 years. [109581] Mr. Hutton: The cost of palladium-based precious metals used in dental appliances depends on the prices negotiated in contracts between purchasers and suppliers. These will be affected by the price quotations in the metal markets. The average price for palladium in the London market in 1988-89 was about $130 or £75 and in 1998-99 was about $310 or £190. Palladium is only one constituent with fine gold and platinum in precious metal appliances. Precious metal casting alloys for use in the General Dental Services must contain not less than 33 per cent. fine gold, platinum or palladium. The available data do not distinguish between the constituents of precious metal alloys and the incidence of precious metal dental appliances cannot therefore be broken down further. Information on the number of incidences of the dental treatment item 1711, full or jacket crown cast in precious metal alloy and the comparable treatments 1705 and 1706 which were deleted from 1 December 1996, is shown for 1988-89 and 1998-99. General Dental Services (GDS): Number of incidences England and Wales _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Item number 1988-89 1998-99 1705 7,240 -- 1706 154,180 -- 1711 52,670 259,359 Total 214,090 259,359 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The total number of incidences for the treatments shown increased by 21 per cent. between 1988-89 and 1998-99.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

345 c58-9W; 109581

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Dental services Costs Metals

Contains statistics

Yes