Access to NHS dentistry in Edinburgh has received a welcome boost with the addition of a new dental practice .
The Westside Dental Care centre will cater for up to 5,000 patients in and around Wester Hailes, one of the city's most deprived areas.
The much-needed modern facility, which is based in the Westside Plaza shopping centre, has been set up by Irish dentist Victoria Nason with the help of her colleague Andrew Turner.
Funded with the help of NHS Lothian, the surgery has four practice rooms and space for expansion.
Ms Nason said: "It is one of the first practices to be opened in a shopping centre in Scotland . There is easy parking and public transport galore so it just seemed right."
"Wester Hailes is a changing suburb and projects like this can only help."
Commenting on the new practice, Pentlands MSP David McLetchie said: "It is terrific that young dentists like Victoria have confidence in the future of NHS dentistry and are opening up this new practice in Westside Plaza."
"This is a great opportunity for people in the area who have had difficulty finding a NHS dentist to register with Victoria and her team and ensure that their teeth are properly looked after."
Westside Dental Care is the second NHS dental practice to open in Edinburgh over the last few months, following the launch of the Haymarket Dental Practice in October.
