English Pulling Out Their Own Teeth Because They Cannot Get Professional Treatment

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Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 15 Oct 2007 - 11:00 PDT

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Six per cent of people in a large survey in England said they had to treat their own dental problems themselves, because they could not get professional treatment - this included pulling out their own teeth.

The Dentistry Watch survey, which is the largest of its kind ever to be carried out in England, surveyed 5,212 patients and 750 dentists. It was carried out by the Patient and Public Involvement Forums survey and was aimed at collating patients' and dentists' views on dental services in England today and assessing the true state of the National Health Service dental system.

Here are some of the survey's findings:

Patients

-- 78% of dental patients are no longer in the NHS, because they could either not find an NHS dentist or their existing dentist(s) stopped treating NHS patients.
-- 6% of respondents say they have had to treat themselves because they could not get professional treatment - this included pulling out their own teeth themselves.
-- More than 50% of all patients do not understand dental charges.
-- Almost half of all NHS dental patients do not understand dental charges.
-- Nearly one-fifth of all NHS dental patients have gone without treatment because they could not afford it.
-- 93% of those who did receive NHS dental treatment were happy with it.

Dentists

-- 45% of all dentists do not accept NHS patients.
-- 58% of dentists say that patients are receiving poorer quality of care today (since the new dental contracts).
-- 84% say the new dental contracts have not made it easier for patients to get an NHS dental appointment.
-- 73% know about patients who had to turn down treatment because they could not afford it.

-- Click here to see the Full Report

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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