YEAR after year, East Lancashire's dental health shows up in the official league tables as among the worst in the country.

It is a sorry state of affairs that lies behind the revived drive by health officials for domestic water supplies to be fluoridated to reduce levels of decay.

But as much as social conditions and diet may contribute to the high rate of bad teeth, is not another reason for it the shortage of dentists in the region -- and fewer of them offering treatment under the National Health Service?

It was only last year that a report showed that of the 82 practices in the region, just 17 were prepared to take on new NHS cases.

And a measure of the desperation that this situation creates was seen in Rossendale yesterday when hundreds of people queued up in the cold to register as an NHS patient at the Valley's new dental surgery. For despite assurances that there would be a place for everyone who wanted, people were not prepared to risk not getting one by being slow to register.

It may be that situation is more acute in Rossendale following two of its major dental practices going private in recent years -- so that last year of the 15,000 fewer people found to have gone from dentists' lists in East Lancashire in just three months, 90 per cent were in the Valley.

But even though the new and necessary Dental Health Centre in Rawtenstall brings some welcome relief, the desperation displayed by the queues there proves that private dental care is beyond the means of a great many -- and begs the question of whether NHS provision needs to be not only extended, but also whether its charges need to be revised downwards so that more will avail themselves of dentistry.

For while health officials may see highly-controversial fluoridation as a swift and potent means of reducing demand for dental services, would not more NHS dentists and lower charges be as effective -- and necessary?