THE shortage of NHS dentists is starting to bite with a Dunfermline councillor highlighting the increasing difficulties in getting an appointment.

Lib Dem James Calder said the Kingdom is facing a "ticking time bomb of dental health problems" because patients can't access treatment.

He's seeking support for his motion to the Fife Council meeting this Thursday which is calling on the Scottish Government to intervene and "save NHS dentistry".

Cllr Calder said: "In recent years the number of NHS funded procedures in Fife has plummeted.

"A similar pattern has been seen across Scotland and is a direct consequence of the failure of the SNP-led government to properly support dentistry.

"We are now facing a ticking time bomb of dental health problems in Fife as a result of the Scottish Government burying their heads in the sand.

"Doing nothing is not acceptable and we are seeing less and less people with access to NHS dentists.

"Many can't afford private treatment, particularly in the current economic climate. This is not fair."

Cllr Calder, who represents Dunfermline South and is the convener of the city's area committee, said constituents had told him that getting access to an NHS dentist "has become significantly harder" in recent years.

The motion states that the number of NHS dental claims in Fife has reduced from 381,169 in 2019 to 211,287 between January and November 2022.

He added that many dentists are not accepting new NHS patients and that many patients who are registered have been unable to get appointments, "leaving people in pain and causing wider mouth health issues to be missed".

Cllr Calder's motion states that the Scottish Government is failing to reform the funding structures so that dentists can return to taking on NHS activity and enable more patients to be seen.

He's asked the council leader, David Ross, to write to the Scottish health secretary, Humza Yousaf, to request "urgent action" to tackle the lack of access to NHS dentists.

And he told the Press: "This motion is a chance for Fife to say enough is enough!

"We need to tell the SNP-led government to get their act together and save NHS dentistry."