York pensioner extracts his own tooth after struggling to find an NHS dentist
A pensioner from York has extracted his own tooth after struggling to get an NHS dental appointment.
Phil Shepherdson, 72, is registered with a local dental practice but couldn’t get an appointment with an NHS dentist. He was offered a dental hygiene appointment but told that no appointments were available with the practice dentists. Suffering with severe pain and unable to find any other clinics offering NHS treatments or emergency care, Phil decided to take his own tooth out at home.
After calling around and losing hope, Phil loosened the front tooth and then pulled it out before swilling his mouth with saline solution and mouthwash to try to prevent infection.
Phil said that he could have got a private dental appointment within hours or days of calling but explained that he couldn’t afford treatment, which would have probably cost hundreds of pounds.
Phil’s story is increasingly common, with surveys suggesting that DIY dentistry has been on the rise since the pandemic. Access issues are affecting patients across the UK, with many unable to get appointments within days, weeks or even months. In many areas, there are no NHS practices accepting new patients. According to BBC research, around 90% of UK practices had no new NHS adult patient places available in summer 2022.
Rachel Maskell, MP for York Central, said that the current situation is not acceptable and called for the government to take urgent action to put a stop to DIY dentistry and ensure that patients have access to the dental services they need. She recently presented a petition in the House of Commons to try to save Bupa Dental Care in Holgate, which was earmarked for closure as part of Bupa’s plans to close, sell or merge 85 practices around the country.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion