UKs First Supermarket Dentist Set For Business

Mon, 08 Sep 2008

The country's first supermarket dentist is set to open in Greater Manchester next week, in a bid to boost accessibility to dental services in the area.

Celebrity dentist Lance Knight is opening a new branch of his private dental practice at Sainsburys in Sale, offering customers the chance to get their teeth examined while shopping for their groceries .

The private surgery will offer basic dental check-ups, along with general and cosmetic dentistry to shoppers on a first come, first served basis when it opens for business next Monday.

Dr Knight, who already runs the Ultimate Smile Spa, in Manchester, said prices will be kept "fair" (similar to NHS charges) rather than cashing in on people in desperate need of treatment . Basic check-ups will cost from £16, while an appointment with the hygenist will be £30.

"The old model of dentistry isn't working - I hear all the time from clients who can't see a dentist because they can't take time off work for an appointment," commented Dr Knight.

He added that support from local people so far suggests that the introduction of a supermarket dentist "could revolutionise dentistry in this country" and that a successful launch could lead to 50 more clinics being opened in supermarkets within the next 3 years.

The opening follows the launch of the UK’s first GP surgery in a supermarket, earlier this year at Sainsbury's in Heaton Park.

David Gilder, head of professional services at Sainsbury’s, said: "There is a shortage of dental practices in the UK and the launch of this new service goes some way to providing local people with greater access to dental advice and a range of procedures."

"We have a long history of providing health care services in our stores, from pharmacies and travel clinics to the launch of the first ever GP's surgery in our store in Heaton Park," he added.

"These services have been enormously popular with customers wanting access to health care professionals at convenient locations and at flexible times."

According to the NHS, over half of the UK population (27 million people) have been treated by an NHS dentist since April 2006 – down 1.1 million on the number of Brits that were seen to during the previous two years.
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