MY husband and I have worked almost 40 years each and have both paid national insurance contributions, so why do we have to pay privately for dental treatment?

The last three dentists we were registered with have gone private leaving us to look for the impossible - an NHS dentist.

When I telephoned the helpline the reason given for the lack of such dentists was the fact that, when training, they pay themselves through dental school, and not too many apply because it is too expensive. Those who do, find it more profitable to practice privately.

My suggestion would be for the Government to fund those who wish to train as dentists but cannot afford it, but tie them into a NHS contract for a number of years.

This would then increase the number of dentists available to practice for the NHS.

My answer to my immediate problem of having to go private is to have it done abroad.

On my last holiday I took with me some general prices of fillings etc and made inquiries in Tenerife.

A standard metal filling in York is £50 but on holiday I had a white filling done for 50 euro (£35).

The surgery was modern, clean and efficient, as I was able to have my filling done within three days of making my first inquiry.

How about seeing that as a sales gimmick in your next holiday brochure? Duty Free Fillings.

I shall be having a couple of my old metal fillings taken out and replaced my nice white ones on my next visit abroad.

Mrs A Annett,

Ridgeway,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 10:20 Tuesday, October 04, 2005