BRIAN Derbyshire and Ron Shambley talk much sense in their replies to my letter regarding the lack of suitable dental care for the residents of care homes and I appreciate their support.

Brian accuses various authorities of procrastination; he is right, although including dentists in that is perhaps a little harsh when considering the amount of time and effort, all voluntary, spent by local dental representatives on attempting to resolve this issue.

Ron Shambley is astonished at the poor standard of dental practices when looking at access for people with disabilities. I share his concern, and his disappointment at some of the attitudes he encountered. He quite reasonably asks why, when so much has been invested in new medical facilities in recent times, dental facilities are seldom included. The answer is in the arrangement dentists have with the NHS to provide dental services.

We are private business owners who enter into a contract with the NHS to provide a predetermined amount of care in a specified time period; I suppose that makes us like other contractors such as plumbers or electricians. Our buildings belong to us or are leased by us from private landlords. We equip, staff and maintain our premises using our own money. Our businesses have strong resale values. Consequently any offer from the NHS to take dentists more fully under its wing would have to make strong commercial sense and not erode cherished and long held freedoms. It should surprise no one that offers made in the past have not met those criteria.

NHS dentistry is the purview of NHS England, themselves answerable only to politicians. These groups are solely culpable for the current shambles; dentists are simply the public face of this tawdry state of affairs. Please don't shoot the messenger.........

Peter Moss

Chair, Bolton Local Dental Committee