Liverpool pensioner removes 11 teeth after struggling to get NHS dental appointments
A pensioner from Liverpool has removed eleven of his own teeth after struggling to get an NHS dental appointment.
For the last four years, George Glinos, 67, has been pulling out his teeth at home because he can’t find an NHS dentist or afford to go private. George has called local practices every month since his teeth started to become loose years ago. He claims that every time, the response is the same. Nobody is offering new adult NHS places.
Throughout his struggles to get a dentist, George has been able to access emergency care, but it has only provided short-term solutions. He explained that it has now been around four years since he had an NHS dentist and despite numerous calls, there are never any appointments available. As he can’t afford private dental fees, he has resorted to extracting his own teeth and he now has a jar at home containing eleven teeth.
George’s dental health issues have impacted his confidence, as well as his physical and mental health. He can’t eat a lot of foods now because he only has one tooth left in the bottom jaw and suffers from digestive problems and stomach pain on a regular basis.
George has called for more support for dental patients. His story is not an isolated one, and there have been reports of an increase in DIY dentistry across the UK over the past two years.
A spokesperson for the NHS in the North West said that recent changes to the NHS dental contract should help to ease pressure on NHS practices and improve access for patients. They added that the pandemic has created substantial backlogs and encouraged anyone who does need urgent treatment to contact NHS 111 if they don’t have a local practice.
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