PATIENTS snapped up 200 new NHS dentistry places in just a few hours at practices in Weymouth.

They queued outside Weymouth Dental Practice in Portland Road in the wind and rain to secure one of 250 places available.

There was a similar clamour at The Bridges Dental Practice in Gloucester Street which also has 250 spaces.

The rush came as patients aimed to beat the shortage crisis in NHS dentists' places locally.

Joanna Dickenson, manager of both practices, said: "The phone's been ringing off the hook. We've been inundated since we advertised in the Echo.

"We've been able to take on a further 500 in total because some of our patients have moved out of the area, some have passed on and we are getting a new dentist from Ghana who is due to start in December at the latest. But we expect all the places to be taken up by tomorrow."

Ms Dickenson said that the surgery had been able to take on NHS rather than profitable private patients because of her seven dentists' 'altruistic attitude'.

She added: "They went into dentistry to provide the NHS with dentists rather than the money."

According to a survey of 240 dentists published by Which? magazine in August, Dorset has some of the most expensive private treatment in Britain.

The average cost of a checkup, scale and polish was between £40 and £66 compared with £33 to £52 in Glasgow. In Northwest London it cost £41 to £68.

A replacement crown in Dorset was between £250 and £350, as opposed to £200 to £261 in Glasgow.

In the past, patients have queued outside dentists offering NHS places in Weymouth and hit out when former NHS practices went private.

Despite the clamour, Ms Dickenson has high hopes the extra places will help fill the gap in Weymouth's NHS dental crisis.

She said: "I think we are on the way to solving the problem in Weymouth.

"It's not half as bad as it was. Efforts are being made by the primary care trust and I know a new dentist is opening on the Granby Industrial Estate."

Ms Dickenson's two surgeries now serve a total of 15,000 NHS patients - 12,250 at Weymouth Dental Practice in Portland Road and 2,750 at The Bridges.

She said this would only be possible by operating long opening hours.

She added: "We are open between 8am and 8pm. We couldn't do it otherwise."

The new NHS dentists' on the Granby Estate, Prospect Dental Practice at Cambridge Road, has also been advertising places for patients who turn up in person.