New dental practice closes its list

8:24pm Friday 9th May 2008

BOLTON'S newest dental practice has closed its list to new patients just two weeks after opening its doors.

The Freshdental surgery, in Wigan Road, Deane, already has more than 1,000 patients on its register with hundreds more trying to get an appointment.

Partners have been forced to temporarily close the practice lists while they deal with the treatment of the first wave of patients.

Senior partner, Dr Monik Vasant, said: "It's been going really well but we are extremely busy and we've had to impose a temporary halt on new patients while we finish the treatment of existing ones.

"This just goes to show there was a massive demand. We still have an awful lot of people trying to get on to our waiting lists, which we will be opening again as soon as possible."

The dentist also urged people who have made appointments to make sure they do not miss them.

He said: "There's no excuse for missing appointments. We would appeal for people, if they have made an appointment, to make sure they keep it."

The surgery, which could eventually treat up to 10,000 patients, is the second to open in Bolton this year. The first, at Deane Clinic in Horsfield Street, Deane, opened in January.

Health bosses had vowed to increase the number of people who can access an NHS dentist, from the current 58 per cent to 67 per cent by 2010.

Statistics have revealed that just 58.2 per cent of people - 54.4 per cent of adults and 69.9 per cent of children - in Bolton have an NHS dentist.

Cash being pumped into NHS dentists in the borough has increased massively and an additional £852,000 is being invested every year.

Bolton has one of the worst dental records in the country, with youngsters aged five having an average of 2.49 missing, decayed or filled teeth, compared to a North-west average of two and a national average of just one.

To be considered for the waiting list for the new practice email info@fresh-dental.co.uk and include your name, phone number and address, or call into Lever Chambers Centre for Health, Ashburner Street, Bolton.

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