A Fylde denture specialist says he will be sent back to school instead of helping patients when new rules for his profession are introduced later this year.

Martin Wormald says he will have to close the doors at the Cleveleys-based Privacy Denture Studios to take the two-year course demanded by the General Dental Council (GDC), leaving hundreds of patients forced to seek help from already over-stretched dentists.

Ironically the rules have come in because of a change in the law to officially allow professionals like Mr Wormald to deal directly with patients.

"I've been working directly with patients for the last 15 years and have served hundreds if not thousands of them," said Mr Wormald: "We have wanted a change in the law for a long time but it now seems the General Dental Council wants us to take a full-time, two year retraining programme.

"Patients can't get a dentist and thousands of denture wearers will be missing out when we are off on courses.

"Laws like this have been implemented in 50 other countries and have asked people to take supplementary training as and when needed, on day release or at weekends."

Mr Wormald added that he was prompted to treat members of the public directly after they had approached him -- fed up at the long waiting lists to see dentists.

Antony Townsend, chief executive of the GDC, said: "Clinical dental technicians (who see patients direct, and work within patients' mouths, and are sometimes called denturists) cannot currently work legally in the UK. The GDC can and does prosecute people for the practice of clinical dental technology.

"Clinical dental technicians won't be able to apply for registration on the basis of experience because any UK experience in this field prior to the register opening would be illegal practice and because we consider it important that all clinical dental technicians should be properly qualified."

But Mr Wormald and colleagues from the profession have formed the Association for the Promotion of Denturism (APD) and plan to seek legal advice.

Meanwhile, a new scheme to boost local NHS dental provision by having dental trainees qualify within four years instead of five could be given the go-ahead by government later this week.

A decision will be made on FRiday over the scheme, involving four local universities including the University of Central Lancashire.

If successful, the move -- launched by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), St Martins College and the Universities of Lancaster and Liverpool -- could deliver at least 24 graduate-entry dental trainees to the north Lancashire area within the next two years.

They would then be allowed to carry out dental work whilst under the supervision of qualified 'mentors'.

UCLan Vice-Chancellor, Dr Malcolm McVicar said: "This is an exciting project that addresses the acknowledged shortfall in the region's dental workforce."

NHS dental provision campaigner -- Lancaster and Wyre MP, Ben Wallace -- has also lent his support to the scheme.

Mr Wallace said: "I very much hope that the Government will give the go-ahead for this scheme to get up and running as rapidly as possible when Ministers make their final decision at the end of this week."

But Mr Wormald and colleagues from the profession have formed the Association for the Promotion of Denturism (APD) and plan to seek legal advice.

Meanwhile, A new scheme to boost local NHS dental provision by having dental trainees qualify within four years instead of five could be given the go-ahead by government later this week.

The move, involving four local universities including the University of Central Lancashire, has been welcomed by Wyre MP, Ben Wallace.