Devon man pulls out his own tooth after failing to get an emergency appointment
A Devon man has pulled out his own tooth after struggling to get an emergency dental appointment.
Billy Taylor, from Axminster, took drastic action after failing to find a dentist who would see him when he started to experience severe tooth pain and swelling. Billy called NHS 111, but was informed that unless he was struggling to breathe, the advice was to avoid going to hospital. Mr Taylor claims that he was not informed about urgent dental care centres, and when the inflammation on the left side of his face worsened, he decided that the only option was to remove the tooth himself.
The British Dental Association issued a warning over DIY dentistry recently, with dentists raising concerns over an ‘inevitable’ increase in home repairs while practices are closed.
NHS England has apologised to any patients who are struggling to get an urgent dental appointment, and the body is in the process of opening a series of emergency centres across the country to provide care for those in need. There are currently 15 hubs in the South West.
The BDA has accused NHS England of acting too slowly, but representatives have stressed that getting a brand new network up and running has taken time. Many centres are now open, and patients are encouraged to call their dentist if they need advice or urgent care. High street practices are closed, but dentists will be able to offer telephone advice, online prescriptions and phone consultations for those who may need to visit an emergency dental centre.
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