HUNDREDS of children across the county have been affected by the shortage of NHS dentists with many having to have their teeth removed in hospital.

In June, The Journal researched NHS dentists in Salisbury which revealed that there are very few NHS dentists, and none were taking on new patients. The shortage of NHS dentists is likely to impact the most vulnerable or poorest in the area.

Salisbury resident Matthew Cowen previously told The Journal that they had been trying to get an NHS dental appointment for their children. Since then, he has given up and taken alternate steps.

He said: “The situation is just the same for our children. We couldn’t get them registered with an NHS dentist, so we had to go for MyOptions – a slightly cheaper plan with less benefits than DenPlan.”

Having to go private is likely to become the norm as the British Dental Association (BDA) and the BBC found that 80 per cent of the 6,000 NHS dentists contacted across the country were not accepting children as patients.

Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee said:

"NHS dentistry is at a tipping point, with millions unable to get the care they need and more dentists leaving with every day that passes. We're seeing the results of years of chronic neglect, set into overdrive by the pressures of the pandemic. The question now is will ministers step up before it's too late?

"Nothing we've heard from government to date gives us any confidence this service has a future. Without real reform and fair funding NHS dentistry will die, and our patients will pay the price."

The statistics are concerning.

190 in every 100,000 children needed to have extractions in 2021 and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities figures show that 220 of under 19-year-olds had to have at least one tooth removed in hospital due to decay during 2020-21.

Going forward, dental check-ups will take place annually or once every two years instead of the existing 6 monthly check-up. Dentists will also have to publish up-to-date information to reveal whether they are taking new NHS patients.

With people struggling to find affordable treatment, the national director of Healthwatch England warned: “People have been turning to DIY dentistry.”

If you have been affected by the NHS dental crisis, let us know. 

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