Dentist closure to cost 4,000 places.

A TEIFI Valley dental practice is to close, leaving nearly 4,000 people in the area without a dentist, it was revealed this week.

Robert Hathway, who runs The Dental Practice in Adpar, Newcastle Emlyn, said he felt he had no choice but to close his doors.

The practice, which has just over 3,900 people on its books, will close on Friday, February 26.

Dental services are administered by the new Hywel Dda Health Board, which took over control when it merged with the Local Health Boards of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire last year.

Speaking to the Journal, Mr Hathway said: "I believe the Hywel Dda Health Board are going to write to all the patients seen in the past year to explain the practice is closing.

"They will be inviting them to register on a waiting list to either transfer to another practice, or if they allocate another dentist."

Mr Hathway added that he had issues with the way dentistry was now administered by the health board.

He said: "Dentistry is getting more and more difficult for a small practice like mine.

"I think the future for West Wales will be in large corporations."

He added, however, that he had no wish to fight the health board, simply that he was closing because he could no longer cope with so many patients.

The Journal spoke to a couple from Carmarthen, who make the 40-mile round trip to the Teifi Valley. They now fear they will not be able to get another place.

Hwyel Dda Health Board was asked on Monday for a comment, but no one was available as the Journal went to press yesterday.