A dentist has opened the UK’s first supermarket dental surgery.

Dr Lance Knight, who runs several dental surgeries in the city, is promising shoppers professional and cost effective treatments.

Dr Knight, whose clients include boxer Amir Khan and the model Caprice, said: “This is aimed at making dental care more accessible and to meet patients’ needs. The surgery is open seven days a week making it convenient for those needing to see a dentist during the evenings or weekends.

“We hope to make the service available to many more Sainsbury’s customers across the country.”

The private surgery will go head to head with the NHS, charging £16 for a check up, which is slightly less than NHS fees.

Dr Knight claimed that in some areas 50% of the local population were not registered with a dentist because of the shortfall in NHS dentists.

David Gilder of Sainsbury’s, said: “There is a shortage of dental practices in the UK and the launch of this new service goes some way to providing local people with greater access to dental advice and a range of procedures.

“We have a long history of providing health care services in our stores, from pharmacies and travel clinics to the launch of the first ever GP’s surgery in our store in Heaton Park, Manchester. These services have been enormously popular with customers.”

A pop-up dental surgery recently visited nearby Stockport promoting the cut price benefits of dental treatment in the former Eastern Bloc.