In Suffolk, Karen Stone dreams of a baked potato. Specifically, its golden, crunchy crunch. Or maybe even a big chewy juicy steak.
But with only seven teeth in her mouth, the 61-year-old can only eat very soft foods. As oral Health inequality is widening in the UK, with people turning to do-it-yourself dentistry – aka pulling their teeth – as they can’t access NHS treatment.
“I had a really loose tooth which I twisted and twisted and twisted until I could get it out,” Karen tells Metro.co.uk. “It’s very scary to do this, but the relief is incredible. But then, of course, the next one starts to loosen up.
“Gradually over time, because you don’t have teeth, as you chew, the rest of your teeth loosen and move.
“That’s why,” he adds, “when you lose some … you’ll lose them all eventually.”
A recent survey by the British Dental Association (BDA) revealed that 82% of dentists deal with horrendous cases of DIY dentistry. In response to the statistics, BDA chairman Eddie Crouch said: “Day in and day out, dentists in our hospitals are seeing scenes straight out of a Dickens novel.”
The UK dental crisis was evident on the streets of Manchester this week when a new dental surgery opened. Hundreds of people queued for two days in an attempt to secure a spot on their register. As the crowd became uncontrollable, the police had to be called.
And although Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged £200m this week to give NHS dentists a £15-£50 ‘new patient’ payment to help care for the 1m new patients who have not seen a dentist for two or more years, the BDA says is not enough.
A YouGov poll, carried out in 2023, found that 10% of people admitted to having tried ‘DIY dentistry’. More than half (56%) of the group had it in the last year and one in five said they did it because they couldn’t find an NHS dentist.
Karen explains that despite never having had major problems with her teeth, when she needed to have her upper dentures replaced during the pandemic, she was refused NHS emergency dental care due to Covid.
Then, after an accidental fall in an Asda car park – which broke three lower teeth – she was told to try private care, but with universal credit and PIP, she can’t afford it.
Two sets of dentures will cost her around £2000, so she got one fitted Go Fund Me page to pay for treatment.
In total, Karen believes she’s had at least five teeth pulled. Something that affects her physical and mental health every day, she says. Eating has also become extremely difficult and he is prone to choking.
“I can’t be sure if this is related, but I’ve developed IBS recently and when I go to the toilet, sometimes I see whole chunks of food in there because I can’t chew properly,” she admitted.
The sight of missing teeth also makes the grandmother feel “down and depressed”, and limits her personal life as well.
“I’ve been single since my partner died four years ago,” Karen explains. “I was on the dating scene, but now I’m very shy. They are not going to want to introduce someone to their family who has no teeth! I was a normal, happy woman. Now, I just feel, what’s the point of going on? I’m ashamed of myself, but I know it’s not my fault.’
On the other side of Suffolk, in Sudbury, Nick Cohen, 45, was also unable to access NHS dentistry and was embarrassed to leave his home.
What started as a toothache in 2020 escalated into more serious problems and landed me on endless waiting lists for NHS treatment. Eventually, Nick was in so much pain that he pulled two teeth himself in 2021, on separate occasions. One at the front and one at the back of his mouth,
“I did it with my fingers,” he recalls. “I wiggled the tooth back and forth until it was loose enough, and then I literally grabbed it. I put all my strength into it and pulled hard. I took painkillers, and it was quite painful.’
Nick believes his teeth could have been saved if he had accessed dental care when he needed it, but the NHS practice he was on the waiting list for was privatized and closed down.
While he was able to get his four front teeth removed by an emergency dentist, he has nothing to replace them with, as NHS emergency care is usually only for tooth extractions, without the provision of dentures.
Speaking about his current situation, Nick says it continues to be “traumatic” and “stressful.” He is so embarrassed about his lack of teeth, he refused to share recent pictures of his face with Metro.co.uk.
“It causes me great distress and isolation – I feel quite alone and desperate,” says the diabetic, who is unable to work due to a long-term disability. “My teeth were literally falling out left, right and center because I couldn’t get any treatment or go see a hygienist.”
In Cheltenham, Anya* tells Metro.co.uk that despite coming from a family of dentists, it hasn’t stopped her from resorting to DIY dentistry herself during the lockdown.
“Back in Scotland, where I grew up, I was always privileged to receive affordable dental care,” she explains. “But during the Covid era I couldn’t travel. I was in agony for a year with wisdom tooth pain. I couldn’t get an NHS dentist and the cost at a private practice was so extortionate – it could be up to £1000 – and there was no way I could afford it.’
Instead, the 33-year-old marketing professional took a kettle of boiling water and poured it over a pair of nail scissors, then “cut the gum around my tooth”.
“I was at a point where I was in so much pain – and I knew why I was in so much pain – that I knew I had to do something,” Anya recalls. There was a ton of blood and I really wouldn’t recommend it. I managed to ease the pain, but I didn’t solve the problem.’
Anya has not told her family about her DIY efforts as she said they would be shocked and cross with her. He said it was absurd, maddening and disappointing that he could not get NHS treatment, adding that dentistry is considered inferior to medical care.
“If I talked about minor surgery, there would be outrage,” he says. “But dental care seems to fall into a strange subcategory.”
The dental crisis in the UK is something that needs to be tackled urgently, according to the Toothless campaign group in England, which acts as a hub for a network of ‘Toothless’ campaign groups across the country.
“This is not just an issue that has arisen because of the pandemic,” insists group founder Mark Jones. “This NHS dental shortage has been with us for over a decade. It is unfair, cumbersome and economically unsustainable. It is not attractive to new dentists as they simply cannot cover the costs of providing NHS treatment.’
One source of hope is the current intake of dental students, which is larger than usual. However, since it takes five years to train dentists, it is not very useful for those who need treatment now.
“It shouldn’t be like this,” says Karen, with seven teeth left and two more on the verge of falling out. “NHS patients should be the bread and butter because there are more of us than there are people who can afford to go privately. However, we are made to feel that it bothers you a little.
“The whole point of the NHS being there is that it’s there for those who need it,” he adds. “However, I feel like my life has been put on hold – just because I can’t get an NHS dentist.”
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Contact via email Claie.Wilson@metro.co.uk
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