NEARLY 13% of the population of a north island are on the waiting list for a dentist, it was revealed yesterday.
And hundreds more face 200-mile round trips to get treatment.
People living on Skye and nearby Lochalsh are currently unable to register with an NHS dentist in the area due to a lack of specialist medical staff.
Instead many drive to Inverness, Dingwall or Fort William for check-ups and treatment.
Locals last night hit out at the situation which has happened despite the opening of a £1.2million clinic at Portree last year which NHS Highland promised would improve islanders’ access to services.
The health board yesterday admitted there were 1,630 people on the dental waiting list for Skye and Lochalsh, which has a population of around 12,700.
The organisation said the list built up in the past due to a shortage of dentists but medical chiefs are now confident that the list will be accommodated – eventually.
There are currently four dental practices in the area – one each at Portree and Dunvegan on Skye and two at Kyle, which serve the southern end of the island.
Catriona Leslie, of Portree, said she was forced to register with a dentist at Dingwall, in Ross-shire, due to the difficulties in getting a dentist on Skye.
She said: “I used to see a private dentist in Portree and signed on at Dingwall when that dentist left about five years ago. I didn’t even bother trying to sign on for an NHS dentist on Skye because I knew there was a waiting list of more than 1,000.
“Dingwall is a long way to go to see a dentist, but there was no alternative. I would much prefer to see an NHS dentist close to home, if that was possible.”
Portree and Braes Community Council chairman David Hearn agreed there was a serious problem with access to dental care on Skye. He said: “The new clinic in Portree is first class, but there are a lot of people who have to go farther afield because there are no vacancies at the practice and there is a long waiting list.
“I know of people who are travelling to Dingwall, Fort William or Inverness to see a dentist.
“We would obviously like to see the local practice able to accommodate all the people who need dental treatment here.”
Highland councillor Drew Millar, who lives in Portree, said they were disappointed the new clinic in the town had not resolved the situation.
He added that he thought the money invested in the practice was supposed to provide good conditions that would make it easier to recruit dentists to the area.
Mr Millar said: “When the new dental clinic was opened in Portree, we thought it would solve a lot of the problems, but there still seems to be far too long a waiting list.
“I’m at a loss as to why the situation hasn’t improved here.
“In this day and age, it is pretty ridiculous that people are having to travel so far to see a dentist,” added Mr Millar.
Councillor Hamish Fraser, who lives near Broadford, said: “We’ve been trying to get the dental service up to standard on Skye for quite a number of years. They just don’t appear to have enough dentists to deal with the issues we have here – teeth are just as important as any other health issue.
“Whatever business you’re running, if you have enough operators, you should be able to cope with demand.”
He added that the new clinic in Portree seemed to have failed to improve the situation.
And Councillor John Gordon, Portree, said there obviously were not enough dentists for the number of people needing to be seen.
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