Mums and grandmas sacrificing own health in NHS dentist crisis - read horror stories in full

Dental horror stories from and grandmothers have been revealed in a damning report which finds women are being hit hardest by the crisis.

The survey by the Women’s Institute showed how the lack of access to NHS is hitting women who are more likely to be poor, have caring responsibilities and worse teeth. Its national survey of women exposed how juggling caring responsibilities means they are , sometimes going without dental care so they can afford to pay for private care for a loved one. Accounts from 1,000 respondents reveal new mums are more likely to lose teeth due to lack of access while elderly women report downsizing their home so they can pay to go private.

The WI’s Dental Health Matters report highlights that women are:

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• Sacrificing seeing a dentist themselves to afford private dental care for their loved ones due to the lack of access to NHS dentistry.

• Self-medicating with online-purchased temporary fillings, over the counter remedies, and overdosing on painkillers to alleviate oral pain.

• Forced to go to A&E for dental pain due to a lack of access to preventative care, including severe infections.

• Travelling up to 250 miles across the UK and even abroad to find affordable dental care,

• Taking loans, using credit cards, and even downsizing homes to release income to afford dental care.

• Missing out on vital dental care during pregnancies and failing to find any dentists willing to see their children as NHS patients.

The has launched the campaign calling for a return to universal access.

Jeryl Stone, Chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes said: “Women up and down the country have been left at breaking point by the crisis in dental care. The hundreds of women who took part in our research have shared heart-breaking stories of personal sacrifice, and at the risk of personal health.

“We at the Women’s Institute stand united in demanding a fair and accessible NHS dental healthcare system for every woman and their community – this requires urgent reform to NHS dental contracts and offering more training spaces for our dentists of the future. Dental health matters, and so do we.”

The WI said its report is the first of its kind looking at the disproportionate impact of the NHS dental crisis on women. One woman said: “When we first moved I tried every dentist within a 20-mile radius. I am currently on a four-year waiting list for an NHS dentist!”

Another woman responded: “The NHS Dentist left the practice I attend; they advertised for over 18 months with no success for a replacement… if we want to stay with the practice we have to join Denplan.”

Even survey respondents who have managed to register for NHS dental healthcare are finding that appointment availability is limited. One said: “We have now been told that we can only see the dentist every two years for a checkup, which I think is far too long. But I'm too scared to complain in case they take us off their books.”

Another woman carer said: “My 87-year-old mum can no longer afford private dental insurance. There are no NHS dentists taking on patients in her area so for the first time in 70 years she no longer has any dental care.”

The report cited previous medical research showing pregnant women are more vulnerable to dental issues due to hormonal changes that increase gum sensitivity, leading to gingivitis.

The report stated: “Research has found that there is some truth to the old wives tale ‘have a baby, lose a tooth’. Studies tracing historical medical records do indeed indicate that the more children a women had, the worse her dental problems.”

Elevated estrogen and progesterone can cause gums to swell, bleed and become inflamed.

One mum said: “I cannot find an NHS dentist within a 20-mile radius of my home for me or my two young children. During both pregnancies, I’ve not had access to a dentist. I’m on so many waiting lists for an NHS space that I’ve lost track. Neither child has seen a dentist and my oldest is four.”

One respondent’s 82-year-old husband had to go private after being unable to find an NHS dentist, while another paid £2,000 for treatment after their NHS dentist became private. Pensioners on fixed incomes reported downsizing their homes to afford dental care, with one person paying over £6,000 for dental implants.

One pensioner said: “I was 74 when my NHS dentist closed. For weeks I rang NHS dentists all over the North East within 30 miles trying to secure a new one. Most had huge waiting lists of 1,000 - 2,000 and no chance of a space for years.

“Shortly after I tripped on a raised pavement and broke my tooth. I had to go private. £155. Six months later I needed a filling and had a check-up. Cost £255. I don't have a huge pension so that kind of money has an impact. I've been lucky all those years as my dentist was very local. Now there is no possibility of getting an NHS dentist in my lifetime. I'm 75 now. It’s a terrible state of affairs.”

The WI’s Dental Health Matters campaign, calls on the government to recognise and act on the impact of this dental health crisis on women, caused by a dental health service unfit for purpose - by reviewing NHS contracts and providing more dental training places.Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: "The crisis in NHS dentistry is having a unique impact on women up and down the country.

"From pregnancy to menopause, as parents and as carers, access problems often hit women hardest. This service can have a future, but only if ministers are willing to pick up the pace and keep their promises. Until then, patients — especially women — will continue to pay the price."

‘I’d waited seven years for an appointment so yanked out my own teeth’

The report comes after the story of a pensioner who yanked out three of her own teeth after waiting nearly seven years on an NHS dental waiting list. Linda Colla, 76, moved from Nottingham to Devon in 2018 and found that local practices were not accepting new NHS patients.

Linda, who receives pension credit, says she couldn't afford to seek private treatment. Speaking last year, she said: "I didn’t have any other option. I started looking for an NHS dentist, and couldn’t find one, so I phoned the NHS and they put me on the list. I’ve been here since April 2018, and I started looking for a dentist in June or July that year - and I’ve still not got one.

"Three teeth started to work loose, and it was not very comfortable. It was painful to eat, so I had to pull them out. They were getting looser and looser, so one at a time, I took them out. It was two back teeth and a canine, and they had quite long roots. It was very painful.”

Linda told how she wrapped a piece of tissue around the teeth to give her grip and managed to pull her teeth out with her bare hands. She had a dentist and received regular treatment on the NHS before moving to Devon.

When she arrived, she was put on a waiting list and regularly called around local surgeries to ask if they had space for her. She said she was prepared to travel 20 miles.

She said: “One receptionist said they’d love to take more NHS patients, but with the budget given by the government they can only take a certain amount.”