DEVOTEES of that brilliantly observed American cartoon series the Simpsons may remember a recent episode in which young Lisa Simpson has to wear a brace on her teeth and to persuade her to go through the ordeal, she is handed a book entitled "The Big Book of British Smiles".

The book shows grotesque images of characters with oddly mis-shapen teeth, sticking out at unusual angles and black with decay. It is a somewhat alarming view of the way North Americans look upon our dental care.

However, it is with some sadness that we note the demise of NHS dental provision in Skipton as the one remaining practitioner providing the service has followed his peers in deciding that the NHS is not for him. It is a remarkable coincidence that all Skipton dentists have ended NHS treatment in the space of a few weeks, instead asking patients to join special insurance schemes or just pay as you go.

The dentists say that the poor rates paid by the NHS mean it is just not cost effective to offer the service and hence they are opting out. The response of the North Yorkshire Health Authority to this is somewhat Nelsonian. They point out that there are dentists still offering treatment under the NHS at Gargrave and Settle. So that's fine then.

Many patients will pay up monthly towards private insurance. However, the people who will be hit most are those on a low income - the very people who will not be able to afford to go to Settle and Gargrave. For them it is probably the end of regular appointments, fillings at the first sign of trouble and prevention of decay. The Simpsons' Big Book of British Smiles will no longer be an amusing satire.

The Conservative Government was quite content to see the decline of NHS dental treatment as a means of privatising the health service by stealth. It stood on the sidelines, able to watch more and more forced into private schemes and to blame the dentists for it all. Alas, the new Labour Government has followed the same trend. In this area hundreds of children from less well off families will pay the price in years to come.

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