The sheer task of getting a dentist can be a problem for some people, so it is a racing certainty that many people in Norwich will be pleased to see a new surgery opening on Queens Road.

Norwich City Council has given the green light for the surgery to open in premises that previously housed a bookmakers’, the Eastern Daily Press reports. It means those entering the premises of Night Dental will find teeth whitening trays where once there were betting slips.

A lack of dental services in Norfolk has been a major concern in recent years, with Norwich South MP Clive Lewis raising the issue in parliament last May after one Norwich man pulled out 18 of his own teeth after failing to find a dentist to deal with his severe pain.

Documents provided to the city council said: “The Night Dental provide standard dental services whilst also providing cosmetic treatments such as teeth whitening, Botox, Invisalign and dental implants.”

Planning permission was needed to change the use of the building, as well as to re-jig the internal configuration to establish treatment rooms and a waiting area.

There may be a certain irony about a place associated with gambling now becoming a site where people can get treatment to provide assurance about their oral health.

Many people allow what appear to be minor issues to linger, either through complacency or dentophobia, gambling that all will be well when in fact they could be simply allowing a situation to get worse and require more radical treatment.

Suffice to say, in that situation the odds will be against people having healthy teeth and gums. For those who keep their teeth in a good state, treatments like whitening are a way of enhancing what already looks good. But for those taking an unwise punt on getting away with it, dodging the dentist could lead to a lot of pain.