THE long and sometimes painful wait to see an NHS dentist could soon be reduced as Gloucestershire NHS announce a £6 million investment in new practices.

The investment, being spent over two years, will be used to encourage dental organisations to open NHS practices at locations around the county, including the Stroud district.

It is hoped the scheme will offer access to NHS dentistry to an extra 95,000 Gloucestershire residents.

NHS Gloucestershire, formally Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, will shortly be inviting dental organisations to tender for new contracts to open one of five practices providing NHS dentistry in Cheltenham, Forest of Dean, Gloucester City, Northleach and the Stroud district.

Currently there are only four practices in the Stroud and Berkeley Vale area that offer full NHS care, under the scheme that should rise to five.

Jan Stubbings, chief executive of NHS Gloucestershire, said: "We know that NHS dentistry is a key priority for local people. Our intention is to improve levels of access for as many people as possible and to improve the capability of the NHS to meet local needs within the resources available.

"This investment will see a large increase in the availability of NHS dentistry across the county."

The £6 million investment will also go towards encouraging dentists to provide extra services at community hospitals and health centres that already have dental suites but which are not fully used.

These could include the hospital at Berkeley and the Sandpits clinic in Dursley where a small community dentist surgery is offered but not on a full-time basis.

The new practices will open in 2009/10. Specific locations will be announced nearer the time.