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GP and dentist open new practice
23rd Feb 2011
A Merseyside GP has joined forces with a dentist to launch a new NHS dental practice which will cater for up to 3,500 people in Knowsley, thanks to a government scheme to increase access to dentists.
Origins Dental Centre has launched as part of Knowsley Health & Wellbeing's work to improve access to dental care and is now accepting new patients at Whiston Primary Care Resource Centre.
The new service has been funded by the Department of Health's Dental Access Programme which aims to enable more people to see a dentist.
Oral health in Knowsley is significantly poorer than the national average, particularly amongst the borough's younger population.
This launch follows the latest NHS research* which revealed that 56% of 12-year-olds in Knowsley have at least one tooth which is decayed, missing or already has a filling.
The new service is to be headed up by general dental practitioner Dr Ravi Gollapudi who applied for the Department of Health's Dental Access funding to launch the new service in Knowsley.
Dr Ravi has teamed up with former Knowsley-based GP, Dr Sudhaker Khandavalli, who has worked in the borough for 28 years and has helped shape the Origins Dental Centre service to ensure it caters for the specific dental health needs of people in the Knowsley.
Dr Gollapudi says: 'I am delighted to be able to offer thousands of Knowsley residents the opportunity to access services provided by this brand new NHS practice as we know local people have been struggling to gain access to NHS dental services in the borough.
'I will be working alongside former Knowsley GP Dr Khandavalli and his local knowledge will help us to provide the best service possible to residents.
He adds: 'We are really focusing on preventative care as well as improving extended hours access to benefit local people and we hope to provide a good quality, friendly and flexible service which will help to bring Knowsley's oral health in line with the national average.'
Origins Dental Centre will provide a full range of high street dental services including the core NHS service as well as a range of private treatments.
The practice will also provide frequent early morning and late evening appointments for patients in the borough.
Sue Drew, Knowsley Director of Public Health says: 'Oral health is a priority for Knowsley Health & Wellbeing. Although good progress has been made in the borough over the past few years, there is still room for improvement and I am delighted that we can dramatically improve access to dental services in Knowsley with the launch of this new practice.'
For more information about how to register at Origins in Whiston contact 0151 426 4066.
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