Dentistry in Oxfordshire has vastly improved thanks to a £2m investment in the countys NHS dental services .
According to NHS bosses, the gap in NHS dentist provision across the county is on its way to being filled with thousands more patients receiving dental check-ups and treatment.
In February 2007, only 27 of the 85 NHS practices across Oxfordshire had the capacity to take on new patients, but that number has now increased to 42 and more work is being planned to help continue growth next year.
As a result, the number of patients being seen by an NHS dentist has risen from 278,710 in December 2007 to 301,109.
Nicky Wadely, deputy head of primary care services at NHS Oxfordshire, said the countys dental services were the best they had been for years.
She added: "Oxford itself has always been relatively well provided for. But we have seen a significant improvement in provision across the whole of Oxfordshire."
"Weve still got some work to do in areas such as Wantage and we are looking to do this in 2010. But its a lot easier to see a NHS dentist than many people expect."
NHS Oxfordshire said it had managed to meet dental care demand by extending existing capacity and commissioning new services.
NHS Oxfordshire has launched a telephone helpline (0800 011 3824) and an email service (dental@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk) to help residents find where their nearest surgery is.




