The ugly tooth

CROWDFUNDING appeals by desperate people going private for essential dentistry are soaring amid the NHS dental crisis.

- BY MARTIN BAGOT Health Editor

A Sunday Mirror probe shows such appeals on site GoFundMe have more than doubled in recent years.

The Mirror's Dentists for All campaign reported how a decade of Tory funding cuts has led to millions locked out of accessing NHS care.

The budget for NHS dentistry in England is only enough to care for half the population so most dentists are not taking on new adult NHS patients.

We reported how for many people in pain and without the cash to go private, crowdfunding is the only hope.

Blackpool chef Paul Gwynne, 40, who launched an appeal, said: "I have been struggling with the way I look with the loss of most of my teeth. I can't find an NHS dentist. I do work but don't have thousands to spare to get new teeth. This seems to be my final hope."

GoFundMe data shows new crowdfunding appeals for dentistry increased from 627 in 2019 to 1,297 in 2024. In the first six months of 2025 there were 852 new campaigns, suggesting a 31% rise this year.