SWANAGE’S new permanent NHS dental surgery has opened 14 months after the town’s only dentist stopped treating national health patients.

Civic dignitaries and NHS representatives attended the opening ceremony of the new Social Care in Action (SCA) Trafalgar Swanage practice, Kings Road West.

Resident Mandy Mason, who spearheaded a campaign to bring NHS dental services back to Swanage, said she welcomed the move.

“We got around 1,500 signatures on a petition demanding the return of an NHS dentist,” said the mum-of-two. “It is great news that Swanage now has a permanent dental surgery that takes NHS patients once again.”

Swanage residents were up in arms when the town’s only NHS dentist – The Regency Dental Practice – went private from April last year.

Regency Dental Practice owner Andrew Thomas cited “increasingly difficult” NHS constraints as reason for the move.

Following a wave of protest, the NHS launched a temporary, mobile dental surgery in Swanage and started a procurement process for a full-time dentist, culminating in Friday’s grand opening.

Chief dental officer for England Barry Cockcroft attended SCA Trafalgar Swanage’s opening ceremony.

A SCA spokesman explained: “SCA Trafalgar Swanage is located in a newly-refurbished, former residential house and consists of three full-time dentists offering both NHS and private dentistry, as well as experienced dental nurses and a hygienist.

“SCA Trafalgar was awarded a 20-year contract to provide NHS services in Swanage by the former NHS Dorset in January 2013, and has invested in the new practice with support from Big Issue Invest and RBS bank.

“All the surgeries in the new practice are fully computerised and supported by state-of-the-art equipment including intra oral cameras, an OPG machine and digital X-ray.”

l Anyone who wants to register at the new practice should send an email to trafalgar.swanage@scagroup.co.uk or call 01929 427 356.

Visit the website scagroup.co.uk /dentistry to find out more information on the practice.