IT was very sad to read about the five-year-old girl from Leyland who died having a tooth out at a local dental surgery.

I believe that a stricter eye needs to be kept on dentists as such deaths have occurred before.

No procedure should be taken lightly and, while not the cause in this case, it is important to ensure that unnecessary dental work is not carried out.

Dentists are paid for the work they perform on adults and studies have been authenticated by dental professors.

These proved there were great variations in the amount of treatment recommended to the same lady, on the same day in different dental practices.

This ranged from no treatment at all, to £1,000 worth of treatment which included four crowns.

A dental professor confirmed that the lady did in fact needed no treatment.

Most dentists are not so unscrupulous, but it proves that caution is needed.

There is also concern over mercury amalgam (silver) fillings.

Mercury is toxic and experts now admit it can be given off from fillings by chewing and hot drinks. You can get further details from the Patients Against Mercury Amalgams information line on 020 7256 2994.

Name and address supplied.