A councillor recently said that some people have been pulling their own teeth out with pliers due to the shortage
Why are some people reportedly pulling their teeth out with pliers?
- A lack of NHS dentists in Cambridgeshire is reportedly causing residents to take desperate measures. A councillor reported this shortage has led people to attempt treating themselves, in extreme cases “pulling teeth out with pliers”.
- Residents unable to secure a local NHS appointment must travel long distances or pay for private treatment. People are travelling to places like Bedford or Hertfordshire to be seen by an NHS dentist.
- Councillors debated the dental care crisis at a recent Cambridgeshire County Council meeting. They expressed deep dissatisfaction that the public still perceives a “chronic shortage and a chronic inability to access dental services”.
- The local Integrated Care Board (ICB) acknowledged public concern and detailed mitigation efforts using additional funding. This included a £6.1 million investment dedicated to establishing a new dental improvement plan and supporting local initiatives.
- As part of the improvement plan, the ICB created “additional access sessions” which treated approximately 13,000 patients. The area also received more than 14,000 extra urgent dental care appointments under a national initiative to address immediate needs.
- Efforts to boost the local NHS dental workforce have seen limited success, despite financial incentives. Only four of the targeted 12 new dentist placements have been filled, despite the offer of up to £20,000 per recruit.
- A key challenge cited by the ICB is the constraint of the nationally controlled dental contract, which limits local flexibility. Funding allocation is based on population data from 2005, which representatives noted does not reflect Cambridgeshire’s current growth.
- The financial structure meant to attract new dentists was criticised for failing to adequately incentivise practices to take on more NHS patients. A councillor suggested dentists often receive only a fraction of the £20,000 payment, which offers little encouragement to prioritise NHS work.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: Lack of NHS dentists sees some people ‘pulling their teeth out with pliers’ councillor claims
