News

Easington MP reveals his mother has resorted to DIY dentistry

Minister says his elderly “frail” mother has pulled her teeth out due to “desperation” and being unable to access NHS services.

Grahame Morris told the House of Commons on January 9 that he had consulted the NHS ‘Find a Dentist’ website however, “there is not a single dentist accepting children aged 17 or under in my Easington constituency.”

He added, “Ministers should be ashamed that after they have been in power for 14 years, NHS dentistry is catastrophically failing our children.”

Commenting on adult care, Grahame called the situation “dire”. He said, “There are no dental practices accepting adult patients within a 10-mile radius of my constituency. Within a 15-mile radius, there are only three.”

A 2022 poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats revealed a one in five (21 per cent) people who failed to get an NHS dentist appointment in the past year turned to DIY dentistry.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Dental Nursing and reading some of our resources. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Up to 2 free articles per month

  • New content available

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here