Newport dentist urges parents to register their children as NHS books reopen for first time in a decade
A dentist in Newport is urging local parents to register their children at his practice, as he begins taking on NHS clients for the first time in around a decade.
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Jonathan Preece of Newport Dental Practice has opened the door to young NHS patients after becoming concerned about the number of youngsters growing up without access to a dentist.
The Stafford Street practice began "moving away" from the NHS in January 2024 after "a chronic lack of investment in NHS dentistry" and asked most adult patients to register as pay-as-you-go patients or under the Dental Membership Plan.
Mr Preece said he kept part of his NHS contract so he could still provide dental care to children and vulnerable people already registered at the practice, but is now reopening his NHS books to the youngest patients in Newport.
He said: "In the NHS nationally, there's been a real shortage of access for everybody but particularly and worryingly for children.
"There's a massive problem with children now having to have multiple extractions under general anaesthetic and that's a result of not having that early intervention that comes from regularly seeing a dentist from a young age.
"Medically, that's not a great thing to do - the medical establishment really frowns upon giving general anaesthetic to children for the purposes of dental care. But it's also a big event for anyone, never mind children.
