Dental crisis deepens in Devon with 70,000 patients on waiting lists
The dental crisis in Devon is deepening, with recent figures suggesting that 70,000 people are now on waiting lists.
Health bosses have confirmed that they are working flat out to try and improve access in the region but the number of patients waiting for treatment is growing day by day.
NHS England representatives suggested that steps have been taken to ensure patients have access to urgent services but there are concerns about those who need treatment that is not classed as emergency dental care.
In a report broadcast on ITV News, Justine Hardie and her son, Ethan, shared their story. Justine, who is from Plymouth, said that she has encountered issues trying to get treatment for Ethan from an early age.
Ethan, now 19, has had dental problems since he was a young child and he needed a large number of teeth extracting at the age of just four years old. Since then, Justine and Ethan have experienced difficulty getting appointments and she is worried that other families will find themselves in the same situation.
Ian Mills, a partner at Torrington Dental Practice and Honorary Associate Professor at the Peninsula Dental School, said that the pandemic has exacerbated dental access issues and highlighted inequalities in dental care.
In 2020, more than 4,000 children had teeth extracted in Plymouth, a statistic, which prompted a local Labour councillor to call for urgent action. Cllr Jemima Laing illustrated the scale of the problem using soy beans and suggested that there would be an outcry if any other part of the body were routinely removed so frequently. Dental issues, she claimed, are being ignored and children in the area are suffering as a consequence.
A spokesperson for NHS England and NHS Improvement South West said that the primary issue was a shortage of dentists, which was impacting the availability of appointments. The trust is working with local practices and trying to recruit more dentists in a bid to increase capacity.
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