A “dire” shortage of dentists in the UK is leading patients to take drastic measures when it comes to fixing their teeth, leading healthcare bodies have warned.
A survey by the British Dental Association and the BBC found that 91% of NHS dental practices in England were not accepting new adult patients, totalling 4,933 out of the 5,416 who replied to the survey. The figure was similarly high in Scotland, with 82% of practices saying that they were not taking on new patients, while it was 93% in Wales and 90% in Northern Ireland.
Louise Ansari, national director of Healthwatch England, warned that the current situation is “pretty dire” for patients awaiting dental treatment, The Mirror reports. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: "So many people can't get an NHS dentist appointment, they're in pain, they're anxious, some people can't eat or speak properly.
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"And suddenly, indeed, it's not unusual for us to hear stories of DIY dentistry,” she continued. “Things like making teeth out of resin and sticking them into their gums with superglue, which is an absolutely desperate situation for somebody to be in."
The Healthwatch director added that she had heard of instances in which people had been forced to pull out their own teeth after failing to secure a dentist appointment. And Shawn Charlwood, chairman of the British Dental Association, said that the NHS is at a “tipping point” when it comes to dentistry.
"We're seeing the results of years of chronic neglect, set into overdrive by the pressures of the pandemic,” he said. “The question now is: will ministers step up before it's too late?”
The chairman went on: "Nothing we've heard from the Government to date gives us any confidence this service has a future. Without real reform and fair funding NHS dentistry will die, and our patients will pay the price."
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