THE dental crisis was not helped one bit by the confrontational approach taken by the acting-chief executive of the PCT, Paul Bates, at the public meeting on March 24.

Although agreeing that dentists had to make ends meet in order to go on providing a service, he eventually made it clear the PCT would rather see thousands of patients thrown out, than compromise to allow the present system to continue, although it has been operating successfully for over 50 years now.

As most NHS fees to dentists have progressively fallen over these years, it has become economically necessary to restrict NHS dentistry to fewer patients, but with almost all children being kept on free treatment, together with many disadvantaged people.

There are only three real alternatives: the books can be balanced by seeing more patients, or giving them less time, or allowing fee-paying adults to support the rest. The first two involve a reduction in the standards of clinical care and are plainly unacceptable.

Dentists have to pay all their own costs: the building, the equipment, tools, furniture, materials, laboratory costs and staff. Most of their fee-income is spent on these. If they go broke, there is no service for anyone at all.

So how did the PCT get into this mess? Not just because it was forced to, as Mr Bates asserted. Other PCT's have been more flexible, so we know he has room for manoeuvre.

So what can we do about it? We can invite the members of the PCT to re-examine this sorry failure, to vote again, having seen the consequences of their ill-advised venture.

"Take it or leave it" is not a practical or a civilised offer and is not the way things are done in other parts of the country. Let's try again!

G T Parsons, BDS, LDSRCS (retired after 45 years ), West Malvern.