Patients suffering potentially life-threatening mouth abscesses are turning to their GPs for help, due to a shortage of NHS dentists.

This is the view of Dr Tia MacGregor, who claims people are visiting her with painful oral infections because they cannot find a dental practice willing to give them low-cost NHS care.

She said: "Tooth abscesses can be very painful and have potential life-threatening consequences. If the infection gets into the bloodstream and goes into your brain it can cause a clot or an infection in the head or neck.

"People who come to me always say they're struggling to find a dentist. I look at their teeth and they're in a horrible condition and often these people haven't seen a dentist for 10 or more years.

"In a developed country I think this is completely unacceptable."

An Oxford Mail spot survey yesterday showed that only four out of 22 practices in the city were taking new NHS registrations.

Others charged between £16 and £75 for a private consultation - before beginning any treatment.

And according to NHS.uk, the official website for patients looking for services, only 15 of 54 Oxfordshire practices were registering new NHS patients - who would still be charged £15.90 for a basic check-up (unless they were on benefits).

Dr MacGregor, of St Clements Surgery, Oxford, said she was pleased there were practices available to new NHS patients.

But she added: "I think there's a perception that there are no NHS dentists. People have tried to find one for so long that they've given up. There should be more publicity about those that are taking registrations."

Other GPs have also been asked to treat patients with oral problems. Dr Prit Buttar, of Sturt Street Surgery, Abingdon, said although he had not seen an increase in patients with poor oral health, many visited him for oral care because they saw it as a cheaper option than a dentist.

He added: "Coming to see me is free and the very worst is that they'll have to pay for a prescription. But even if they were to register with a dentist, most would have to pay for something.

"If you add to that the fact that it's fiendishly difficult to find an NHS dentist in Oxfordshire, then it's not surprising people are coming to us instead."

The Government redesigned NHS dentistry in 2006, drawing up a new dental contract intended to make it easier for patients to get access to NHS care.

But many dentists were disillusioned with the deal and withdrew from the NHS altogether.

A spokesman for Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust, which oversees county dentistry, said: "Although there may not be a large number of practices taking on new patients, if a patient did not have an NHS dentist and required urgent treatment they could be seen on the NHS via the dental access centres."