THEY queued in their hundreds just to get their teeth checked on the National Health Service.

Now, almost a year to the day after Ian Capewell opened his doors to new patients, he has stunned them with the news that he is going private.

The well-respected local dentist said he was just not able to continue running his business under the NHS and was being forced to turned to the private sector.

The announcement has left patients and politicians disappointed, claiming the move will leave dozens of people without affordable dental care.

Maxine Webb from Whiteley, who has been a patient for two years, said she was annoyed that under-18s would only be entitled to NHS care if one of their parents switched to Denplan. She said: "Parents are left with no choice if they want their children to continue receiving treatment there."

A patient from Locks Heath, who has been registered with the practice for the last five years, said: "Three members of my family have got this letter.

"If we move over to Denplan it will cost us each about £15 a month.

"I phoned up NHS Direct and they told me the nearest NHS dentists are in Farlington, Southsea and Cosham, which are too far away.

"There's nowhere around here with NHS dentists and with 250 homes on the Coldeast site and housebuilding still going on in Whiteley the situation's going to get worse."

Fareham MP Mark Hoban said: "I don't think Whiteley Dental Practice took the decision lightly.

"Patients will be disappointed by it. We all know how desperate people are to find NHS dentists locally. These letters will come as a huge shock to patients."

Mr Capewell told the Daily Echo he had been left with no choice but to turn to the private Denplan scheme.

He said: "This has been a case of change or see the practice go under completely. Due to financial commitments, practice wages and investment in the practice, we have had to move away from the NHS to keep the practice open as a viable business.

"It has not been an easy decision and after much soul-searching we have been forced to move away from the NHS."

A spokesman for the Mid Hampshire Primary Care NHS Trust responsible for dental care provision in the Whiteley area said health chiefs recognised there was a shortage of dentists.

The only place in Fareham where patients can go for NHS treatment is the NHS Dental Access Centre but that is only open to unregistered patients in an emergency.

The town's newest dentist, George Papoutsis, who opened a practice in West Street last year, already has a six-month waiting list for NHS patients.