An ex-butcher claims he has been forced to pull out his own teeth for more than a decade after finding it impossible to book an NHS dentist appointment.
David Sergeant, from Leeds, said he hasn’t been able to see a dentist for ’10 or 15 years’ — even after receiving an GP referral.
As a result, he’s been forced to use pliers or his hands to pluck out loose teeth.
Before facing the ordeal, the 50-year-old says he has a ‘couple of beers‘ and ibuprofen — but confesses that his DIY dentistry leaves him with a bloody mouth.
He said: ‘It doesn’t feel very good. At the end of the day, I’m having to pull my own teeth out when I should have somebody looking after me.’
It comes amid the NHS dentistry crisis, which has left millions struggling to get appointments, one in five claiming they do DIY dentistry and medics warning that the service is ‘on its last legs’.
David Sergeant, from Seacroft in Leeds, said he hasn’t been able to see a dentist for ’10 or 15 years’ — even after receiving an GP referral
The number of adults seeing a dentist in England over a two-year period has fallen sharply compared to pre-pandemic levels. Only a third have done so according to the latest NHS data
London recorded the lowest percentage of adults who have seen and NHS dentist in two years. The North East and Yorkshire recorded the highest rate at 41.8 per cent
While the number of children in England seeing a dentist has recovered slightly from the Covid pandemic, less than half of are seeing a dentists at least once a year
London recorded the lowest rate of children having seen a NHS dentist in England (40.6 per cent). The rate was highest in the North West with nearly half of children seeing a dentist at least once in 12 months
Millions of people have been left without access to dental care after the number of NHS dentists fell to their lowest level ever last year
Some regions in England are far worse than others for access to NHS dentistry. It is poorest in the North West, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber where 98 per cent of practices won’ accept new patients. This was followed by the East Midlands with 97 per cent, the South East with 95 per cent, the East of England with 93 per cent, and the West Midlands with 84 per cent. London was the best performer for NHS dental care, but even in the nation’s capital over three quarters (76 per cent) of practices were not accepting new patients
How much does NHS dentistry cost?
There are 3 NHS charge bands:
Band 1: £23.80
Covers an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish, and planning for further treatment.
Band 2: £65.20
Covers all treatment included in Band 1, plus additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal treatment and removing teeth (extractions).
Band 3: £282.80
Covers all treatment included in Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures and bridges.
For comparison, check-ups can cost between £20 and £120 at private dentists, according to Which?.
Dentures and bridges can also cost up to £2,520, the consumer watchdog says.
Mr Sergeant said: ‘I’ve been pulling my own teeth out.
‘I can’t get an NHS dentist, for ten or 15 years. I’ve tried referrals from the doctors and there’s nowhere that will take me.
‘I wait until the tooth is loose and then loosen it and loosen it and loosen it and pull it out myself. I have used pliers in the past, like big ones, but most of the time I just use my fingers.
‘I have a couple of beers and fill myself up with ibuprofen and out it comes. Next morning there’s a bit of blood.’
Mr Sergeant struggles with his mental health, for which he receives disability benefits, and has been hit hard by the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Anyone on benefits can receive free NHS treatment.
He sometimes struggles to provide for his pet dog Ash, a 12-year-old Japanese Akita, but has friends who have helped him to buy dog food.
Mr Sergeant said: ‘I’ve just raided my copper jar just to get a pint of milk.’
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘Anyone with concerns about their dental health should contact a local dentist practice as they usually would or seek advice from NHS 111.
‘Recently announced reforms to dentistry services are supporting practices to improve access including by giving high performing practices the opportunity to increase their activity and treat more patients — with discussions around further changes that benefit patients and staff ongoing.
‘Infection prevention and control measures to protect staff and patients were introduced during the pandemic, limiting the number of procedures that NHS dentists could carry out, however these have now been lifted so dental teams are operating at full capacity for the first time in two years.’
NHS dentistry has been in crisis for many years, but the situation has worsened since Britain emerged from the pandemic.
Thousands of NHS dentists quit during Covid and industry polls suggest even more are considering going fully private in the near future.
Dentists argue it is no longer financially viable to offer NHS procedures because of a lack of Government investment.
As a result, people have been left with no choice but to pay huge private fees, go without or do their own dental procedures.
A shock survey last month suggested that a quarter of Britons haven’t been able to secure an appointment. Of these, one in five have resorted to DIY dentistry.
Almost one in three gave up seeking NHS dental care altogether.
As well as pulling out their own teeth, people have reported making homemade false teeth with resin and superglue.
Responding to the poll, the British Dental Association (BDA) said ministers must offer more support to stop the ‘horror show’ of ‘Victorian era’ DIY dentistry.
It comes after NHS data revealed that two-thirds of people in England haven’t seen a dentist in two years.
Just 16million people had a check-up between June 2020 — in the early days of the pandemic — and June 2022. The figure is five million fewer than expected.
And fewer than half of English children had a check-up in the year to June 2022, despite being under-18s being entitled to free dental care.
Adults have to pay at least £23.80 for a basic check-up.
The BDA has warned that dentistry is ‘on its last legs’ and ‘lightyears away from where it needs to be’. It warned that the situation will ‘remain the new normal’ unless it is reformed and given more resources.
