Thousands of people in Castle Douglas are set to be left without access to NHS dental treatment.
The Gardenhill Dental Clinic will close its doors in January – a move which comes on the back of the King Street Dental Practice shutting last autumn.
A recent study revealed not one Stewartry practice was taking on new adult or child NHS patients – a situation replicated across much of Dumfries and Galloway.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson said: “This is a bitter blow and will only exacerbate an already intolerable situation for a great many patients trying to register for NHS dental services.
“Everything possible must now be done by NHS Dumfries and Galloway to encourage and support dentists to take up contracts as well as support with provision of premises, if necessary.”
The closure of the two Castle Douglas sites is expected to leave more than 4,000 patients without an NHS dentist.
A practice in Newton Stewart also closed last year, with another in Gretna set to stop taking NHS work in the near future.
Mr Carson plans to raise the situation with both the Scottish Government and NHS Dumfries and Galloway, calling for it to be addressed “as a matter of urgency”.
The health board’s director of dentistry, Alison Milne, said: “The decision by the owners of Gardenhill Dental Clinic to close in January is not good news.
“It means that from early January a total of 4,400 patients in the Castle Douglas area will no longer be registered with an NHS dentist at a time when this is becoming a very serious situation across our region.
“This move comes after the closure of a Castle Douglas dental practice in October, 2021, which affected 1,500 patients as well as the reduction in NHS dental care being provided by the other dental practice in the town in spring 2022.
“We know through our Time to Talk summer of engagement that access to NHS dental services is one of people’s most pressing concerns.”
She added: “Ultimately, dentists, like GPs, are independent contractors who are awarded contracts to provide services on behalf of the NHS.
“We continue to work to encourage and support dentists to take up contracts and in some circumstances we can even support with provision of premises, as is the case with this practice which operates out of Gardenhill Primary Care Centre.
“However, this is a situation that will only improve when we have more dentists coming into our region providing NHS services – but we know that the lack of dental workforce is a national problem.”
Anyone not registered with a dentist who requires emergency care should call the helpline on 0845 602 6417.
