PATIENTS have had their appointments cancelled after a dentist took early retirement.

A number of patients from the Birdgate Dental Practice in Pickering, North Yorkshire, are now without a dentist.

They are being sent letters in the next few days by the North Yorkshire Family Health Service informing them that their dentist is retiring on ill health grounds and the practice is unable to retain their registration.

Emergency dental care is available from Northway Clinic in Scarborough, which also runs a satellite clinic in Ryedale.

Helen Stokell, the dental practice modernisation manager at Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: "This is an unfortunate situation, but under the circumstances we at the PCT will do everything we can to make sure that all patients will be found another NHS dentist within the PCT area, as soon as places become available.

"Patients may be aware that the PCT has an established dental registration database for anyone with the PCT locality requiring registration to an NHS dentist.

"All Birdgate Dental Practice patients who are affected are being sent a registration form to complete and return to the PCT and thus enable them to enter the system."