DENTISTRY in west Wiltshire is facing crisis point as more practitioners are choosing to treat patients privately.

There are also fears changes in the way dentists are paid could make matters even worse.

Surgeries are bringing in dentists from abroad to try and meet the shortfall but there are still no more places for NHS patients in the district.

At one Trowbridge surgery dentists are dealing with double the number of patients than the recommended figure.

Carl Roberts, chairman of Wiltshire Local Dental Committee, said: "There was a survey that showed by 2011 we may be as many as 5,000 dentists short in this country."

Dentists work on a self-employed basis and are paid according to the number of people they treat.

Treating people privately rather than on the NHS brings in more money without the same burden of work.

Phil Homewood, practice manager at the Oasis Dental Practice, Trowbridge, said: "There is just not enough money from the NHS and dentists have to work really hard. A lot would rather be private because there is more money in it and it is less stressful."

Two dentists at Oasis have 8,000 patients on their books, despite the recommended maximum of 2,000 per dentist.

Another practitioner from Poland is due to start in July but the practice is still looking to hire someone else.

The Government is encouraging practices to hire dentists from Europe and further afield but there are fears a change in the new payment contract, due to come into force in April will make matters worse.

Mr Roberts and his colleagues run the Chantry Dental Practice in Warminster, which has two surgeries, one treating NHS patients, the other private.

From April they, like other dentists, will be paid a monthly rate calculated by the number of patients on the books and are now reconsidering whether to continue treating NHS patients.

Mr Roberts said: "In order to earn the money you have to do a lot of work. A reason a lot of people have left is they can't work at the pace required.

"I can't see that, unless there are significant funding increases that NHS dentistry will improve."

Research carried out by consumer magazine Which showed less than one in ten practices were able to offer an emergency NHS appointment within 24 hours and almost three in ten could only offer a private appointment.

l Tell us your experiences at local dentists. How long have you had to wait for an appointment and what kind of service have you received. Please write to The Editor, Wiltshire Times, 15 Duke Street, Trowbridge by next Tuesday.Email: wtimes@news wilts.co.uk