Watchdog lays bare crisis in emergency dental care in England

People needing emergency dental care in England are being denied help from the NHS despite guidance saying it should be available, in some cases resorting to risky self-treatment such as pulling out their own teeth, the patient watchdog has found.

- Jamie Grierson

Patients who experience a sudden dental crisis such as a broken tooth, abscess or severe tooth pain are meant to be able to get help from their dentist or by calling NHS 111.

But research by Healthwatch England shows that people in pain are unable to get an appointment and in some cases are being forced to travel more than 100 miles, spend hundreds of pounds going private or even travel abroad to get care. In some cases people are turning to self-treatment including pulling out teeth or taking unprescribed antibiotics.

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.

In a blogpost, Healthwatch England said: “People across England tell us they are unable to sign up with an NHS dentist for routine care. Even when they have been taken on as regular patients at an NHS dentist, many people wait months for a routine appointment. We have repeatedly highlighted these significant issues with accessing NHS dentists.”