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NHS dentistry access delays: NHS dental service 'broken'

Mike Liggins/BBC Danielle Watts lives in Bury St EdmundsMike Liggins/BBC
Danielle Watts, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, has been unable to get registered as an NHS patient

Dentists have claimed the current NHS service is "broken" and demanded an end to the "grotesque spectacle of DIY dentistry".

The British Dental Association (BDA) said NHS dentistry was in a "precarious state".

It cited the case of Danielle Watts, of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, who removed 11 of her teeth.

NHS England said urgent and emergency dental care was "available for those who need it".

MIKE LIGGINS/BBC Danielle's teethMIKE LIGGINS/BBC
Ms Watts says she is in constant pain and self-conscious about how she looks and speaks

Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Ms Watts, 42, of Bury St Edmunds, said: "My dentist shut six years ago and me and my children were left with nowhere to go.

"I've tried dialling 111 a couple of times and was told because it wasn't that serious, and my face wasn't swollen, just to take painkillers and see how it went.

"I've just had nowhere to turn. Everywhere I've tried has said they are not taking on NHS patients, but offered to take us on privately," she said.

The mother-of-two said she ended up removing 11 of her own teeth to bring temporary relief from the pain.

"Eating is painful. I can't have a sandwich. I have to break things up. I don't smile, I've lost my confidence and I'm taking painkillers on a daily basis," Ms Watts said.

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Why is it so hard to get an NHS dental appointment?

BBC East health correspondent Nikki Fox explains why getting an NHS dental appointment can be so difficult
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Eddie Crouch, chairman of the BDA, said: "The crisis in this service predates Covid. It's the practices unable to fill vacancies, patients struggling to secure needed care, and desperate people taking matters into their own hands.

"Ministers have a responsibility to ensure the grotesque spectacle of DIY dentistry ends.

"We need more than slogans to deliver for millions of patients unable to access care."

An NHS spokesperson said: "Almost 50 urgent dental care hubs are in operation in the East of England to provide care for people with urgent and emergency dental problems, and we are committed to ensuring everyone can access high quality dental care, and we are working closely with dental providers to improve access to services."

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