Woman extracts own teeth due to lack of dentist

A woman in her 70s says she extracted three of her own teeth because she could not find an NHS dentist and could not afford to go private.

Linda Colla, from Devon, said she carried out the extractions "with great difficulty and lots of pain".

The British Dental Association said the "horrors" of taking your own teeth out had no place "in a civilised society".

Access to an NHS dentist has become increasingly difficult with political parties agreeing that reform is needed.

Warning: graphic image

Ms Colla, who receives pension credit, said: "They were so painful because they'd loosened.

"I couldn't eat - all I could eat was soft food.

"It's not nice pulling your own teeth out. When they're big molars and canine teeth which I pulled out, it's no joke."

Ms Colla said she had to pay about £300 for work on her dental plate following the extractions so that she could eat again.

She said she moved to Ottery St Mary in east Devon about six years ago and could not find an NHS dentist.

Research carried out by the BBC in 2022 found nine out of 10 NHS dental practices were not taking on new adult patients.

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: "In a civilized society no one should have to try their hand at DIY dentistry.

“These horrors are the direct result of decades of political choices."

Mr Crouch said the next government had "a moral responsibility to provide the reform and funding NHS dentistry desperately needs".

He said: “Failure to do so will spell the end of a service millions depend on.”

• When is the UK general election?
• How do the parties compare?
• Your voice, your vote - what issues matter to you?

There has been widespread agreement for 15 years on the main action needed to improve dentistry which is to reform the contract that failed to pay dentists properly for the NHS work they did.

Ottery St Mary falls within the Honiton and Sidmouth constituency and the BBC asked all seven candidates standing there what the next government would do about the shortage of dentists in east Devon.

• Simon Jupp, Conservative: "At the moment the situation is that a dentist can earn more doing work privately than in the NHS. We're offering top-up payments to try to lure them back into doing NHS work but fundamentally we need to reform that contract."

• Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat: "We believe everybody should have access to emergency dental care. The way we would achive this is by making sure we get contract reform so there is much more of an incentive for dentists to work in NHS dentistry."

• Jake Bonetta, Labour: "Labour has a really secure dentistry rescue plan including creating 700,000 more dentist appointments across the country but also having a focus on prevention rather than a sickness service."

• Henry Gent, Green Party: "We will be pushing the next government to enter into a new contract with NHS dentists that ensures everybody who needs an NHS dentist has access to one. This would be funded with extra money for NHS dentistry, reaching £3bn by 2030."

• Paul Quickenden, Reform UK: "Reform UK has a policy to reform the NHS to cut waste and spend the money saved on frontline services, it would appear like doctors' appointments, it is a bit of a lottery at present."

• The BBC did not receive responses from two other candidates - Vanessa Coxon, Independent, and Hazel Exon, Party of Women.

Follow BBC Devon on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].