Patients having to ‘pull out their own teeth’ because NHS dentists refuse to treat them
We all know about the implications of a lack of dentists in rural areas but I suspect most Hinterland readers will be squirming in their seats at the thought of this…..
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.