SCOTLAND yesterday welcomed a group of dentists from Poland as part of a scheme to rebuild NHS provision.

Lewis Macdonald, the deputy health minister, greeted 11 dentists to the parliament - nine women and two men, some who have brought their families and others who hope their families will soon join them.

The first group of Polish dentists to arrive are beginning three-year salaried contracts with health boards.

A further 29 dentists are expected to come to Scotland from Poland.

Urszula Luczaj, 27, from Bialystok in the north-east of Poland, arrived with her fiance, Michal, an engineer.

She said: "I look forward to challenges and I just wanted to start a new life here.

"I wanted to visit Scotland because it is a beautiful country and there is a lot to see here. The main problem in Poland is that we have too many highly qualified dentists, the salaries are low and the working hours are long.

"Here I hope I can enjoy my work and also enjoy my private life."

She is right about the income of dentists in her home country. The new recruits can expect their earnings to jump from around GBP4200 a year to between GBP31,290 and GBP44,343, before promotion.

Eva Adamczyk left a grownup son behind in Warsaw to work in Scotland and knew the reputation here for poor dental health.

However, she said the techniques, equipment and materials were very similar in the two countries. She did not envisage any problem with her new posting to St Andrews.

Would these two new recruits be looking to stay?

Ms Luczaj said: "My contract is for three years.

"Then we will just have to see."

Ms Adamczyk said: "If I am still needed, then probably yes."

Welcoming the group and showing them round the Scottish parliament yesterday, the deputy minister said: "These are young enthusiastic professional people, some at the beginning of their careers, some a few years in."

However, he stressed this was only one strand of policy, alongside incentives for current practices to stay in or even return to NHS provision, and boosting the number of dental school graduates.

Dr Nanette Milne, Tory health spokesman, said: "This might provide a small bit of extra cover for the next three years but ignores the fundamental problem.

"When dentists are able to make a choice, they are turning their backs on the NHS because of the system structure - who is to say that won't also happen with these dentists in due course?" she asked.