AROUND 3,000 patients in the valleys will be without NHS dental care after a practice turned private because of a "lack of government funding".

From this month onwards, the Dental Centre of Oakdale will only be seeing private patients leaving many without access to NHS treatment.

The practice, based on The Square, has treated NHS patients since its opening in April 2000.

The senior surgeon at the Dental Centre is laying the blame for the move squarely at the door of the National Assembly which is responsible for funding health care in Wales.

In a letter issued to 3,000 NHS patients, practice dental surgeon Dr Mark Rice Jones said: "....regretfully, from July, due to lack of government funding there will no longer be any NHS dentistry at my practice, other than for children of registered Denplan or private patients."

Penmaen councillor Allan Pritchard, deputy leader of the opposition Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly county borough council, said: "Speaking as a local councillor and a patient of the practice, I'm extremely angry.

"This will hurt the community; particularly the most vulnerable and I think it is absolutely appalling." He said he had been approached by a number of people who say they will not be able to afford dental treatment now that it has gone private.

Colleen Bright, director of planning and primary health care for the Caerphilly Local Health Board, said: "It's very disappointing when something like this happens but, at the end of the day, dentists are independent contractors and they have to take these decisions in terms of their own business.

"It means patients who have hitherto accessed NHS dental care at this practice will no longer be able to.

"The problem is one affecting the whole of the UK and not just the Caerphilly area."

She added: "We've secured the services of a salaried dentist who will provide three days of service in Pontllanfraith and two days in New Tredegar for unregistered adults in need of emergency treatment. This will begin in August of this year.

"The local health board is hopeful the new dental contracts - subject to preparatory contract work and due to come into force in April 2006 - will provide options in terms of being able to secure NHS dental services for its residents."