David Mackintyre makes an excellent point: the whole point of having a health board for the Western Isles is so that basic services such as dentistry are available WITHIN OUR AREA. It is not to line the pockets of contractors who build a huge dental centre which doesn't treat our teeth. Some people may need a reminder: the NHS is a PUBLIC SERVICE. We have a RIGHT to be register in it and to receive checkups, maintenance, and whatever dental and medical treatment we need. As David writes: "The Health Board have absolutely no excuse. The dental centre in Stornoway is ENORMOUS. Its running costs must also be huge. The only problem is that thousands of us aren't allowed even basic checkups and maintenance work without making an all-day trip with 10 hours of travel to another area." Keep up the pressure!