Continuing accounts of people being left in pain, resorting to ‘DIY’ repair methods and in some cases even extracting their own teeth show the effects of the Covid pandemic on dental care.
Healthwatch England calls for action to address widespread issues with access to NHS dental care following an unprecedented surge in concerns.
They found that more than 7 in 10 people found it difficult to access help and support when they needed it.
Access issues were caused by dentists not taking on NHS patients, as well as conflicting advice from different parts of the NHS about what help is available.
Many people were offered treatment if they went private, despite research indicating that 40% of people would struggle to afford private dental care and the e impact of not being able to access care led to many people to experience pain, discomfort and further complications.
The British Dental Association have reported that treatments delivered by NHS dental services in England are at a quarter of pre-COVID levels, with over 14.5 million fewer procedures taking place.
Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch England, said:
“The COVID-19 crisis has impacted on many areas of NHS support but, problems in dental care appear to be particularly acute.
“Even before the pandemic, people were telling us about problems in accessing NHS dental appointments but since the start of the summer these reports have hugely increased.
“If we don’t improve access to NHS dental care, not only do people risk facing far greater dental problems in the future but it also puts pressure on overstretched hospitals and GPs. Untreated dental problems can lead to pain, infection and the risk of long-term harm, which is comparable with other medical conditions.
“Health and care services are working hard to deal with the pandemic, but we believe the Government and the NHS should give more attention to resolving both long-standing and COVID-related issues in dentistry.”
