THE extent of Hampshire's dental crisis is revealed today.

New figures show that only one in three adults in the county have treatment with NHS dentists. Just seven dentists remain who are willing to take on new NHS patients, with some areas of the county lacking a single one.

Worst hit are those living within the Eastleigh and Test Valley South and Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust (PCT) areas, where there are no surgeries at all that are willing to add people to their books.

Mid-Hampshire PCT, which covers Winchester, has two surgeries still open to new NHS patients, Southampton city PCT has three surgeries and the New Forest PCT and Fareham and Gosport PCT have just one each.

The revelations follow Tony Blair's admission that he had broken his election pledge to give everyone an NHS dentist and that nobody would have to go private after 2001.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Blair said: "I accept there are people who still aren't getting access to NHS dentists."

Until now, Mr Blair has always insisted patients unable to register with a local dentist would be able to get NHS treatment by ringing the free helpline, NHS Direct.

He made his comments as the Liberal Democrats published figures revealing that registration had declined sharply across the county.

Just 32.4 per cent of adults and 54.8 per cent of children in Hampshire and Isle of Wight were registered last year, compared to 51.1 per cent and 65.5 per cent respectively back in 1997.

Speaking in a debate on NHS dentistry at Westminster yesterday, Fareham MP Mark Hoban said people in his constituency were "bitter and angry" that they could not access dental care.

He added: "An NHS dentist taking on new patients will be as rare as hen's teeth."

Winchester MP and Lib Dem Home Office spokesman, Mark Oaten, added was "very concerned" that governments fund new NHS dental practices, only for the surgery to then turn private.

Last year, the government pledged to recruit an extra 1,000 dentists by October this year with a £250m annual budget boost.

Three areas - Fareham and Gosport, the Isle of Wight and the New Forest - received a share of £9m to tackle the problem.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said a radical reforms of dental care were planned so surgeries are commissioned by PCT's.