Shortage of dentists leaves patients resorting to DIY dentistry in Suffolk
A shortage of dentists is resulting in patients attempting DIY dentistry in Suffolk.
Suffolk is one of the worst-affected areas in the country in terms of dental access. Some towns don’t have any NHS dental practices and waiting lists are growing in parts of the county that do have clinics.
Figures suggest that up to 20% of West Suffolk’s dentists left the NHS or quit the profession altogether in 2020/2021.
The situation in Suffolk prompted Leiston resident, Mark Jones, to set up a campaign group. Mr Jones launched Toothless in Suffolk after the second of the town’s dental practices closed, leaving residents with a choice between joining long waiting lists, travelling, or paying to go private. The closure of the last remaining NHS dental surgery left around 6,000 people without access to NHS care.
Mr Jones said that he felt that he had to do something because people are “literally pulling out their own teeth” because they don’t have any other option. Practices are oversubscribed, it’s incredibly difficult to get an urgent appointment and many people simply cannot afford to pay private dental fees.
The campaign group is calling on the government to take urgent action to increase funding to make NHS dentistry more accessible.
Patients in Suffolk have reported being on waiting lists for over two years, but the situation is not just taking its toll on patients.
Dentists are also under intense pressure, and many have made the difficult decision to switch to private work. Sarah Canavan, from Long Buckby Dental Practice in Northamptonshire, said that it was impossible to keep going with NHS dentistry. Practices can’t break even with NHS work alone, and they are “overstretched and underfunded.”
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