MORE tales of dentistry woe have been revealed in a survey which asked the public on Teesside for their views.

Eight local Healthwatch organisations from the North-East, including ones in Darlington, Hartlepool, South Tees and Stockton took part between November and January in a study surveying just under 800 people for their experiences since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, while 36 dental practices were also contacted.

A report highlighted patients travelling long distances in a bid to access NHS dental appointments, including a 70 mile round trip from Hartlepool to Newcastle.

Another patient from Middlesbrough said they were “willing to drive around to get seen” and described fruitless efforts to find a dentist in Billingham, Hartlepool, Redcar, Stockton and Yarm.

About 80 per cent of those quizzed said it was “very difficult” to find a dentist able to see them with waiting lists at some practices for new NHS patients lasting up to a year.

A quarter of patients said they were still waiting for a routine check-up and even those who were already on the books of a dentist had long waits for a check-up – of more than three years and counting in some instances.

A small proportion – 6 per cent of those surveyed – said they had turned to more expensive private treatment with the Healthwatch report stating there was a “strong perception that private patients were getting prioritised”.

It said it was shocking that one in five patients spoken to who required minor treatment, such as for fillings or broken or chipped teeth, had yet to be treated.

Meanwhile, when asked about emergency or urgent treatment involving discomfort, pain or severe pain, more than 37 per cent said it was very difficult for them to book an appointment.

A patient from Stockton said: “I saw an emergency dentist the next day after using the online 111 service, resulting in an extraction.

“It may not have had to come to this if I had seen my dentist and been treated for an abscess and infection sooner, but I could not get an appointment despite describing symptoms and pain.”

Healthwatch, which is a national statutory body with teams and offices across the country and describes itself as the ‘patients’ champion’, said it received 128 comments from its respondents, 63 per cent of which were of a negative sentiment, 30 per cent positive and 7 per cent neutral.

A Hartlepool-based patient said: “There appears to be a shortage of local dental surgeries accepting NHS patients. 

“Also, where patients are registered there is also a shortage of appointments. 

“Even when an appointment is urgently required there is a necessity to wait. 

“It appears that the only solution is to pay privately even with a surgery where you may be registered.” 

From the dental practices themselves who took part 42 per cent said they were accepting new NHS patients.

About 74 per cent of the 36 practices were also seeing private patients whereas only 24% were exclusively NHS patients, but there was a reported instance in the South Tees area where one dentist had stopped seeing private patients to get through a backlog of NHS waiters.

The majority of the public (39 per cent) registered with the practices were waiting between one and two months for routine dental procedures.

Some practices said they were only operating at 60 per cent of capacity and described a “backlog” of check-ups with “patients getting frustrated and taking it out on staff”.

They described how because of the coronavirus they had to spend more time on cleaning, reducing time for treatments, and the requirement for ‘fallow’ periods between appointments, limiting the number of patients who could be seen.

One South Tees practice said it typically had 40 emergency appointments planned in each day before covid, now it was down to five or six.

Some practices also relayed their unhappiness with the current NHS dental contract, saying targets, which can force dentists to pay back money if they are missed, were difficult or just unachievable.

‘Nipped in the bud’

The report acknowledged that there were good experiences of dental care in the region, but said the increased wait for appointments was having a knock on effect “with dental problems getting worse so that it becomes necessary for urgent treatment rather than being nipped in the bud”.

This also added to the pressure on overstretched hospitals and GPs.

Healthwatch said there were “clear indicators” of where improvements could be made, such as ensuring the NHS Choices website had up to date information, while dental practices themselves needed to improve their communication with patients and provide more immediate advice and support for those waiting for treatment where they were experiencing pain.

It said: “Perhaps the most important indicator is that it is clear that there are too few NHS dentists available to service the needs of the North-East population. 

“We urge NHS England to make dentistry reform a top priority, otherwise there will be repercussions for the life-long health of current and future generations, particularly among the most disadvantaged communities in our region.”

NHS England says it is committed to ensuring everyone can access high quality dental care and is looking at ways to increase access to existing services, along with working with partners to improve recruitment of dentists and retaining those already in the workforce.

It was announced earlier this year that there would be a £50m cash injection for the sector in order to boost the number of appointments available.

But Stockton South Conservative MP Matt Vickers said this was a “drop in the ocean” and NHS dentistry had been neglected for 15 years.

He previously said: “Millions are missing out on appointments, DIY tooth extraction is on the rise, mouth cancers are going undiagnosed and health professionals are leaving NHS dentistry by the boatload.

“Make no mistake that this is already a national crisis.”

The MP, who has been raising the matter with ministers, said more long-term funding was required and an increase in training places for budding dentists.

He suggested “utilising our Commonwealth links to entice English-speaking dentists”, while the 2006 NHS dental contract needed to be reformed to retain staff and deliver better access and preventative care.

Department of Health data analysed by the BBC showed that almost a thousand dentists left the NHS last year, although the number of dentists undertaking NHS work in the Tees Valley area (330) has remained relatively stable and only declined by 1% year on year.

Healthwatch has produced a ‘myth busting’ leaflet relating to NHS dentistry, which gives facts about being registered with a practice, why you may be offered a private appointment and what constitutes emergency care, which is available here

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