A north-east town’s £2million dental suite was opened by health bosses last night.
The long-awaited centre at Fraserburgh Hospital will treat about 5,000 patients a year.
It is expected to end travel misery for many dental patients who have, until now, had to travel to Aberdeen for treatment.
NHS Grampian said the Lochpots Road complex would also host a visiting specialist ser- vice for children and patients with learning difficulties.
Known as the Faithlie Dental Centre, it will also offer therapist services, and will operate as a collaboration between the NHS and local, independent dentist David Shaw.
Five dentists will work out of the £1.8million suite, which was formally opened yesterday by NHS Grampian’s director of public health Sir Lewis Ritchie.
Last night Mr Shaw said his team had been providing dental services in Fraserburgh for more than 34 years.
“We have outgrown our existing premises, so this new facility allows us to relocate some of our current activity while having the opportunity to increase access to dental care, particularly NHS, in the area,” he added.
“We are looking to develop enhanced services in due course.”
Brian Dawson is NHS Grampian’s clinical dental lead for Aberdeenshire.
He added: “The Faithlie Dental Centre is part of our pledge to provide dental services to the population of Grampian.
“This facility offers a wider range of services and will deliver additional access to the people of Fraserburgh and surrounding areas.
“This move will service the needs of the most vulnerable groups in the area and the provision of specialist services, such as anxiety management, will help develop Faithlie as a local centre of excellence in dental specialities.
“This will also reduce the need for patients to travel to Aberdeen for treatment and advice.”
NHS Grampian worked on the centre with Hub North Scotland, the company behind £435million worth of developments in the healthcare, education and emergency services sectors over the next 10 years.
Chief executive Angus Macfarlane said: “The Faithlie centre is the first of a number of projects that will achieve completion in the first half of the year. It is another very good example of the excellent work being done in the health care sector.”
Plans for the Broch suite were first discussed several years ago after it emerged that the north-east was one of the worst areas in Scotland for NHS dental provision.