Dental places increase
THOUSANDS of extra NHS dental places will become available in Exmouth over the next 12 months.
THOUSANDS of extra NHS dental places will become available in Exmouth over the next 12 months.
Over the next year 3,100 extra NHS dental places will open up in the town because the Fairfield House surgery and the Associated Dental Practice, both in Salterton Road, are increasing patient numbers.
The move has been hailed as a positive step forward for the town's dental healthcare.
Andrew Harris, who manages dentistry provision in Devon, said: "It is great news that more people in Exmouth will be able to see an NHS dentist.
"We have been working hard to reach a point where nobody in Devon has to wait for an NHS dentist and the extra 3,100 places will go a long way to achieving this."
George Hubbard, chairman of Local Involvement Network Devon (LINk), said: "We are currently working with NHS Devon to ensure that local people have a say in the planning of new dental services for residents across the county."
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Health minister Ann Keen said dentists working in the NHS treat around 250,000 patients every working day - and the aim was to ensure everyone who wants to see an NHS dentist can do so by March 2011.
She said: "So far, we have invested more than �2 billion in NHS dentistry resulting in more NHS dental practices, expanding and opening all the time.
"The tide is turning and we are now seeing access to NHS dentistry starting to increase."
Patients who would like to know how to join an NHS dental practice should contact the NHS Dental helpline on 0845 002 0034.
