BORDERERS seeking a new dentist have been handed a major boost with two practices set to open up lists to register new NHS patients.

Infinityblu Dental Care and Implant Clinic has opted to begin the step at its Peebles and Duns sites for both adults and children.

It is a move expected to be welcomed, with many around the UK facing challenges accessing NHS dental care.

Owner Chris Barrowman said the decision reflected the group’s commitment to providing dental care opportunities for all, whether NHS, private or plan patients.

“We have talked about this for some time now,” he said. “We wanted to ensure we had the capacity and flexibility to do it, across the business, and to ensure our dentists and teams were fully supportive of the decision.

“Most of these Infinityblu practices already offer NHS services to existing patients. The difference now is that we will be opening up the NHS lists at these practices for new adult and child patients which we’ve been unable to do for a considerable time.

“For us, it has always been about patient care. While we have always been committed to providing NHS services, where possible, there has been no advantage in having people sitting on long waiting lists not getting the care they deserve, or having a considerable wait which leads to larger and more costly problems.

“Thankfully, we’ve now taken the steps to ensure that we have that capacity within the business to open up for new patients, knowing they will get the standard of service we want to deliver and do what we can to help with the national shortage of NHS dental provision.”

A damning report produced by the Health and Social Care Committee last year found that people in the UK had been forced to pull out their own teeth at home because they could not access or afford an NHS dentist.

Unlike health, NHS dentistry is not free at the point of care, but certain treatments are subsidised.

In November, the Scottish Government agreed to a new fee structure for NHS dentists aiming to “streamline payments, cut bureaucracy and give them greater authority over the treatments offered”.

New NHS patients wishing to register for the Borders practices are being asked to contact 01796 475 380 or to email enquiries@infinitybludental.co.uk.