More than a quarter of a million patients have been seen by Bristol dental professionals.

Dentists in Bristol have seen more than a quarter of a million patients over the last two years, new figures have shown.

The report – entitled NHS Dental Statistics for England – revealed the number of people who have seen a dentist in the area rose from 56 per cent in March 2006 to 60 per cent in December last year.

Across the UK, the report showed 83 per cent of children visited a dental professional during this period, up from 78 per cent in the two years prior to 2006.

The report noted there are presently 51 dental health surgeries in the Bristol area.

Elsewhere, Cosmetic Dentistry Guide recently reported improvements to the standards offered by NHS dentistry in the UK are to be carried out following the publication of the Steele Review.

It recommended measures including recording the quality and quantity of treatments for each patient, as well as encouraging more dentists to carry out preventative work.