Suffolk woman raises money for life-changing dentures through crowdfunding
A woman from Suffolk has raised enough money to pay for dentures after launching a crowdfunding campaign.
Danielle Watts, from Bury St Edmunds, extracted thirteen of her own teeth over the course of several months because she couldn’t get a dental appointment. She suffered from severe gum disease, which caused her teeth to become loose. Unable to cope with the pain, find an NHS dentist or afford private care, Danielle found herself in a desperate situation. She felt she had no option but to remove her own teeth.
After losing many of her natural teeth, Danielle launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for new dentures. People gave generously and now, she has a smile to be proud of, which she said felt incredible. Having dentures has been life changing, she added. She feels more confident and attractive, she doesn’t have to worry about dental pain anymore and she’s not ashamed of showing her smile in public.
Danielle’s case is not an isolated story. Suffolk is one of a growing number of ‘dental deserts’ in the UK and millions of people around the country are struggling to get NHS appointments. BBC research revealed that 90% of UK practices were not accepting new NHS adult patients in summer 2022.
The government launched an inquiry into dental services and ministers are expected to question health bosses on the subject imminently. There has been a rise in DIY dentistry across the UK and more and more people are reporting access issues. Bupa Dental Care recently confirmed that it was closing, merging or selling 85 practices around the country, which will leave thousands more people without an NHS dentist.
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