Homeless people in Wales forced to pull out their own teeth amid emergency dental care access crisis
A patient watchdog has suggested that homeless people in parts of Wales are extracting their own teeth as a result of being unable to access emergency dental care services.
The community health council claims that very few homeless people in the Swansea area have access to dental care and added that severe dental issues are prevalent among the homeless population. As part of their research, representatives from the watchdog interviewed 53 homeless people based in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend. They found that the vast majority didn’t have access to regular dental care.
A report compiled by the community health council, which is part of Abertawe Bro Morgannwyg University Health Board, revealed that some patients struggled to take advantage of emergency services provided by the board due to an inability to afford to travel across the region. The health board suggested that plans are in place to enable homeless people to access dental care, but the report suggested that some people feel like they have no option but to try and remove their own teeth. Chief officer at the council, Clare Jenkins, said that most of us would find the idea of pulling out or own teeth “shocking”, but it had become an action that was expected by homeless people.
The report praised the efforts of opticians, including Specsavers, for providing early morning appointments for the homeless and the vast majority of those interviewed said that they had access to a GP. Most admitted to suffering from mental health conditions and just under 50% said they had a problem with drug or alcohol addiction.
A spokesperson for the health board said that the report would provide valuable information as part of a review of services offered to local homeless people.
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