A shortage of dental appointments for 2.2million people who need urgent treatment could force some to rely on ‘Victoria-era’ solutions, leading dentists warn.
The 700,000 extra dental appointments promised by the Government will only cover a third of people who need urgent care, the British Dental Association (BDA) said.
And leaving hundreds of thousands of people in England without access to NHS urgent dental care could mean people resorting to radical home treatments.
The association highlighted reports of people pulling out their own teeth and patients left needing emergency surgery due to untreated dental infections.
The description of ‘Victorian’ treatments also conjures images of patients tying one end of a piece of string to their tooth and the other to a door, before closing it.
NHS England calculations estimate that there are 2.2million people who need treatment but are unable to get an NHS dental appointment, the BDA said.
The association said that this means that the Government pledge to deliver 700,000 extra urgent appointments will cover just under a third of this unmet need.
An NHS England letter, sent to local health leaders, states: ‘This calculation gives a total estimate of 2.2million people each year (3.5 per cent of the population) who are currently unable to get an NHS dentist appointment, and who have a treatment need. It is assumed that these are the people who would require urgent care appointments.’
NHS England calculations estimate that there are 2.2million people who need treatment but are unable to get an NHS dental appointment (file image)
A 19th century sketch of dentist. The British Dental Association highlighted reports of people pulling out their own teeth and patients left needing emergency surgery due to untreated dental infections
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Social Care said that it was rolling out the new appointments from April – a key part of Labour’s manifesto commitments on health.
The appointments will be targeted at so-called ‘dental deserts’ – areas where patients particularly struggle to access NHS dentists.
Each local health body has been given a target of urgent appointments to roll out, based on estimated local levels of unmet need for urgent NHS care.
Shiv Pabary, chairman of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘So, it seems a new Government discovered the need for urgent care, but chose just to cover a third of it. This is austerity on stilts.
‘Rather than eliminating DIY dentistry, the Treasury is ensuring we keep seeing horrors that belong in the Victorian era.
‘Ministers have a moral responsibility to ensure no patient is ever left in this position.’
It comes as a new poll by the dental arm of the Medical Protection Society, Dental Protection, found that almost two thirds (63 per cent) of dental professionals are frequently ‘burnt out and exhausted’.
A survey of 1,600 Dental Protection members, including dentists, dental nurses, hygienists and therapists – also found that 50 per cent say they feel under pressure to take on extra work.
The 700,000 extra dental appointments promised by the Government will only cover a third of people who need urgent care, the BDA said
Some dental workers who took part in the survey described working ‘excessive hours’ to try to meet demand for NHS appointments.
Others talked about staff shortages, a ‘target-driven culture’, and financial concerns due to the current reimbursement rates paid by the Government for NHS treatment – which they say are not meeting operational costs, Dental Protection said.
Yvonne Shaw, from Dental Protection, said: ‘It is troubling to see that such a high proportion of dental professionals are burnt out and exhausted, and the degree to which their mental wellbeing is compromised.
‘The Government is expected to set out a ten-year NHS strategy this year and a key plank must be providing a clear timetable for NHS (dental) contract reform.’
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
