Students help to raise hopes for rural dentistry

Eli Kirkpatrick is part of a record number of dental students training in Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway - in common with much of Scotland - has been in the grips of an NHS dentistry crisis.

Thousands of patients have been deregistered by practices - with warnings many would have to seek treatment outside the region.

However, it is hoped the arrival a record number of students in the area could help turn the corner.

Director of dentistry Alison Milne said there was a long way to go but the goal was to help the huge numbers of people not currently registered with an NHS practice.

It is hoped some of the students can be convinced to stay in the region

"It's really good news - just started this week we've got the largest outreach dental facility in Scotland," she said.

"We have got 12 undergraduate final year students coming every week and they're able to provide courses of treatment for unregistered adult patients.

"They're also increasing our emergency provision for patients in pain."

She stressed, though, that the scale of the issue was so great that it could not be solved overnight.

"It is extremely difficult and it will continue to be so for some time," she said.

"Things are still very difficult and they will unfortunately continue to worsen, but this new development with expanded students is going to help unregistered adults."

Alison Milne said provision of NHS dentistry in the area remained "extremely difficult"

Working closely with the University of Glasgow and NHS Education Scotland, the health board hopes that after a "very difficult last few years" some students could be convinced to stay on.

"There's additional allowances that Scottish government have put in place and we've also increased our number of training practices over the past couple of years," said Ms Milne.

"We've invited our local dental profession to come and visit our clinics - we're getting them to meet the students when they're here.

"We're hoping that we'll see some tangible changes in that direction."

Eli Kirkpatrick is in her fifth year at the University of Glasgow but is originally from Annan and is acutely aware of the issues the region has faced.

"At the moment I have many family members that actually don't have a registered dentist," she said.

"There is even more in the area of Annan that actually got left off the register last week with no dentist.

"So I'm very aware of how dire the situation is in the region at the moment."

'Fingers crossed'

She would be happy to return to her home area full-time.

"Next year, starting my first year working as a dentist, I am hoping to come back to the region," she said.

"I think there's a few places that are taking on so fingers crossed that I'll be back down here next year.

"The craic's always the best in Dumfries and Galloway, so that's good on top of it as well."

She has also been selling the region to her fellow students.

"It is a nice place to live and especially after being in the city for so many years, I'm definitely excited to come back to the countryside," she added.

Mirin McKinlay said it was "really rewarding" to help people who had not seen a dentist in a long time

Fellow student Mirin McKinlay, from Glasgow, has quickly been brought up to speed on how bad the situation is in Dumfries and Galloway.

She said: "It is really nice, it is really rewarding to be able to help people that will maybe come in and say to you: 'I've not been able to get a dentist appointment in however long'.

"And, obviously, it's great experience for us as well."

Could she be drawn away from her home city to more rural surroundings long term?

"It's been lovely so far - I don't know if it's the fact that the weather has been quite nice the past couple of days," she said.

"Even the grounds nearby, we've been for nice walks around the gardens and everywhere is lovely.

"Everyone seems really friendly and they're happy to help you out with whatever.

"I definitely could be tempted."