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Patients are having to pull out their own teeth because NHS dental practices are refusing to register new patients, according to a new analysis.
A study by the BBC of 2,500 dental practices on the NHS Choices website found that nearly half (48 per cent) are not accepting new adult NHS patients, while two-fifths (40 per cent) were not accepting new child patients on the NHS,
The figures have prompted concerns of an “emerging crisis” in dental care in England, with the British Dental Association (BDA) accusing the Government of commissioning only enough dentistry to treat about half the adult population.
NHS England said 95 per cent of people seeking an appointment could get one, indicating that one in 20 people are unable to have their dental health needs met.
One couple, Rebecca Brearey and Nick Oldroyd, from West Yorkshire, told the BBC no local NHS dentists would treat them.
“We've been trying for four years but no dentist will take us on. Every time I go, I get told there's a two-year waiting list for NHS patients,” said Ms Brearey.
“It's got so bad that after taking a combination of paracetamol and alcohol I ripped my half-rotten teeth out. The state of my teeth has made me depressed and I've literally begged to be taken on by an NHS dentist, but every time I've been turned away."
Mr Oldroyd meanwhile said: "I was sat there for days in agony with a tooth which was doing my head in and stopping me from sleeping.
“I was drinking to just try and just numb the pain so one night I just pulled it out. The tops of my teeth are gone. I'm on benefits and trying to get a job, and when someone sees my teeth they just think I'm another waster.
“I do believe if I could get some dental care I might be able to begin turning my life around.”
The BDA said 21 million adults and five million children have not seen an NHS dentist in the r e cent past .
Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the BDA, told the BBC: “There is an emerging crisis with more and more dentists not accepting NHS patients.
”The Government has only commissioned enough dentistry to treat about half the adult population and this is an absolute disgrace."
Patients in England are entitled to free dental care if they are under 18, under 19 and in full-time education, pregnant or have given birth in the past 12 months.
Those receiving certain types of benefits are also exempt.
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More than £3bn a year is spent each year on providing NHS dental care, according to Public Health England, representing about three per cent of the total NHS budget in England.
An NHS England spokesperson said: “The latest NHS patient survey found that 95% of people seeking a dental appointment were able to get one, and the overall number of dentists offering NHS care is 3,800 higher than a decade ago.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “Improving oral health is a key priority for this government, and in the last two years more than 22.2 million adults were seen by a dentist.
"We expect NHS England to ensure there are sufficient dental services to meet the needs of the local population."
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