Only NHS dentist in Powys town closes immediately, after dental practitioner suspended by the General Dental Council

It leaves patients in the area with no NHS dental practice, with some taking to social media to say they are in the middle of treatment programmes and others have already been waiting months for appointments.

The Interim Orders Committee of the General Dental Council has suspended Dr Sami Aouant of AKS Dental Ltd trading as Little Owl Dental in Llandrindod Wells, based at The Old Town Hall, Temple Street.

Dr Aouant who has been registered with the General Dental Council since July 2017, has been suspended for 18 months until May 19 2027 with a review in six months.

Powys Teaching Health Board announced that Little Owl Dental in Llandrindod Wells has shut after the General Dental Council suspended Dr Sami Aouant.

As a result of the suspension, the Health Board stated it had no option but to terminate the contract for NHS dental services with immediate effect.

This closure is the latest blow for patients in Radnorshire, following the closure of MyDentist in Knighton in September, further reducing already scarce access to NHS dental care.

A spokesperson for Powys Teaching Health Board said: “AKS Dental Ltd (trading as Little Owl Dental in Llandrindod Wells) has been asked to contact patients promptly to inform them of the practice closure and to provide guidance on accessing the Dental Access Portal to join the waiting list for NHS dental treatment.

“The Dental Access Portal is available online at pthb.nhs.wales/dap. Our Dental Helpline is also available for people who cannot apply online (01686 252808).

“In addition, Powys Teaching Health Board will contact patients recently referred from the Dental Access Portal to advise them that they retain their place on the dental waiting list and to re-allocate them to an alternative provider as soon as possible.

“Patients with emergency dental problems should ring NHS 111 Wales (call 111 free from a mobile telephone or landline). Common emergency dental problems include severe toothache where painkillers have not helped, bleeding after a tooth extraction, visible swelling of the neck or face, or knocked-out teeth.

“We fully recognise how disappointing this news will be for local patients.

“The health board is working at pace to identify alternative arrangements for NHS dental services in the area but unfortunately there are no solutions that will offer immediate continuity of service. The statutory and contractual processes to put a new general dental services contract in place do take some time and we will ensure that you are kept updated on progress.”

Only a few weeks ago AKS Dental Ltd was given planning permission to expand by turning offices into a larger surgery.

The company applied for a change of use of an existing financial and professional services building occupied by Mitchell Meredith Chartered Accountants to a mixed use of a dental surgery and accommodation at The Exchange, Fiveways, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells.

Powys County Council recently approved the change of use application.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have condemned the appalling and worsening state of NHS dentistry in Mid Wales, following confirmation that yet another local dental practice has closed with immediate effect.

They say NHS dentistry across Mid Wales has been collapsing for years, leaving thousands of residents, including children, unable to access care unless they can afford private treatment.

A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Welsh Liberal Democrats revealed that 3,734 people were on a waiting list to be allocated an NHS dentist in Powys. This figure was provided before the most recent closures, meaning the true number is now likely to be significantly higher.

The party has proposed a series of reforms to rescue NHS dentistry in Wales, including increasing dental funding to levels seen in Scotland and Northern Ireland, introducing binding targets for government and health boards to reduce waiting lists, and removing barriers that prevent dental therapists and nurses from initiating treatment.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Member for Mid & West Wales, Jane Dodds MS, said: “I’ve been campaigning on access to NHS dentistry in Mid Wales since my election in 2021, yet sadly the Welsh Government has failed to take notice. As a result, dental deserts have continued to worsen rather than improve.

“People in Radnorshire are once again bearing the brunt of this crisis with yet another closure.

“We need urgent reform from the Welsh Labour Government: a fair dental contract that actually supports dentists to take on NHS patients, proper investment in community dental services, and a government that treats oral health as an essential part of healthcare, not an afterthought. That’s what I will keep fighting for.”

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick said: “People in Mid Wales are being left in pain, unable to find care for their children, or forced into private treatment because the NHS dental system simply doesn’t work.

“Welsh Labour has had 25 years to fix this crisis, yet the situation has only deteriorated. We urgently need action from the Welsh Government and the Health Board to reverse this serious decline in services in Radnorshire and across Wales.”