TWO dentists in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area will no longer be providing NHS dental services from December.

The health board has confirmed that two {My} Dentist practices have returned their General Dental Services contracts to the health board.

The {My} Dentist practices at Hendy-Gwyn in Whitland and Quay Street in Haverfordwest will not be providing NHS dental care from December 1.

However, up until that point, both practices will provide any urgent care which patients require until November 30 and any treatment started before that date will be completed.

The health board will provide patients who had previously received NHS dental care from the two {My} Dentist practices with information about their ongoing care, and the options available to them, as well as working to find a new service provider.

Jill Paterson, director of primary care, community and long-term care for Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “The health board would like to thank patients for the support that they have given to both practices over the years and appreciate the impact that this will have on the local population.

“The health board is working to find a long-term solution which secures this important service for the area as soon as possible.”

Following the termination of NHS contracts, patients who are experiencing dental pain should contact 111 to access an urgent access appointment which is available seven days a week.

Patients who are an NHS patient affiliated with {My} Dentist Hendy-Gwyn and Quay Street Dental practices can contact the Health Board by emailing HDHB.Dental.hdd@wales.nhs.uk or by phoning 0300 303 8322, and using the extension 4, to be put on a holding list for the new practice once the service is in place.

Patients have been asked to refrain from calling alternative dental practices in the areas at this time, as these practices are experiencing an “overwhelming volume of calls”, the health board have said.

For information on how you can access NHS dental care at another practice, visit hduhb.nhs.wales/healthcare/services-and-teams/dental or contact the Dental Services Team on HDHB.Dental.hdd@wales.nhs.uk