MORE NHS dentists are needed in the Leigh area MP Andy Burnham has told Health Minister Rosie Winterton.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Burnham asked the minister to look at placing more directly-employed NHS dentists there.

He drew her attention to a recent letter sent out without warning by a Leigh dental practice informing patients that the practice was opting out of the NHS and encouraging them to join a £15 a month private scheme.

Andy Burnham said the letter had caused distress to many long-standing patients and questioned whether it was acceptable for practices built up through NHS funds to act in this way.The Minister said that a major recruitment drive for dentists by the NHS was underway with the aim of bringing in an extra 1,000 by October next year.

Mr Burnham urged her to work with the local Primary Care Trust to place more directly-employed NHS dentists in the Leigh area.

He also told the House that the time has come to introduce a simple measure proven to deliver better dental health and lower dentists bills for all.

He highlighted new figures from the Department of Health showing that, every year, over 3,400 children under the age of 10 in the Greater Manchester area had teeth extracted under general anaesthetic. In Birmingham and the Black Country, fluoridated for 40 years, just 683 had a similar operation.

Mr Burnham said: "I know there are real problems in finding NHS dentists, particularly in Leigh and Atherton.

"That situation needs to be addressed and I have urged the PCT to look at bringing in directly-employed NHS dentists.

"It would prevent some of the recent problems we have seen and they could be based on some of the new primary care facilities under construction. The long-term answer is water fluoridation, which is proven to give us all better dental health."