A dental practice in Dumfries is set to temporarily move to a single dentist model – reducing its capacity to treat NHS patients.
MyDentist Loreburne has been unable to recruit replacements for dentists who will continue to work elsewhere in the region.
Approximately 4000 patients are now being offered alternative NHS dental registration either in Dumfries or closer to their homes, with effect from June 3.
More than enough NHS dental capacity exists within Dumfries to accommodate this transfer of patient registration.
Meanwhile, MyDentist Loreburne will remain open and will continue to provide routine NHS Dental Care.
The change will not impact MyDentist Loreburne’s orthodontic services.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s professional lead for Dental and Oral Health Services Valerie White said: “Due to the capacity which exists within a number of local dental practices, NHS Dumfries and Galloway is able to arrange for all affected patients to continue to access NHS dental care.
“The NHS Board is now working with the MyDentist team to transfer NHS dental registrations to other dental contractor practices in either Dumfries itself or closer to the patients’ homes.”
Patients, who are located across Dumfries and Galloway, but predominately Nithsdale, Annandale, Eskdale and Stewartry, are being notified individually by letter of the changes.
A spokeswoman for MyDentist said: “We are working hard to appoint in this practice and we hope to increase our NHS capacity soon.
“These changes will not impact our orthodontic services.”
Valerie White said: “Although we currently enjoy plenty of NHS dental service capacity we are continuing to monitor the situation very closely and are taking forward a number of actions to ensure access to NHS dental services is maintained.”
