Derbyshire patient 'pulled his own teeth out' when he couldn't get dentist appointment during pandemic

Bosses at Healthwatch England provided details about the incident as part of a report on problems facing residents trying to get dental care amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The study, which is published monthly and sees people sharing their experience of NHS and social care services, found ‘a significant increase’ in the number of people facing problems facing accessing dental care.

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Between July and September 2020, the number of people who provided feedback about dentistry was 452 per cent higher when compared with the previous three months.

The NHS has responded by pointing to the record 25,000 dentists currently offering care.

The Healthwatch reports says: “We have heard a few extreme cases when lack of access to dentistry pushed people to take steps which put their health and wellbeing at risk.

"A resident from Derbyshire, for example, shared in our national survey that their son who has learning disabilities pulled their teeth out as they couldn’t access a dentist.

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"In another case, Healthwatch Portsmouth heard about a person who used pliers at home to remove their own teeth.”

Authors of the report have called for more understanding of the long-term impact of the pandemic on dental care.

“People who struggled to access dental treatments during the pandemic often experienced inconvenience, anxiety, worsening problems requiring further treatment, or worse,” the report says.

“Some people were left in debilitating pain, while others feared that they would lose their teeth when they couldn’t access care.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS has nearly 25,000 dentists offering care – the highest number on record – and during the first wave of the pandemic over 600 urgent dental centres were set up so patients could access urgent treatment, but like other services there is no doubt that of course the first wave disrupted some services.

“NHS dental practices remain open for business and dentists are seeing more patients for face-to-face appointments every month, and while practices are understandably prioritising urgent care alongside recalling patients to complete outstanding dental care, if a patient is worried about their teeth or oral health, or that of their child, then they should call their dentist.”

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