A WREXHAM pensioner ended up in hospital with sepsis after pulling his own tooth out with pliers.
The story of the gentleman in Wrexham was revealed by Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS Llyr Gruffydd as he raised concerns about 'declining dental care in the region'.
Mr Gruffydd said the indirect impact of declining dental care were being seen with added pressure being put on other areas of the NHS.
“The falling number of NHS dentists means that more and more people in the North are not getting any dental care and that will have long-term effects. Just over a quarter of people in the Betsi Cadwaladr health board area are covered by NHS dentists – 190,000 out of more than 750,000 people. Just 27% of people in north Wales now have NHS dental care.
“The health board has admitted that it doesn’t know how many others are receiving private dental care and how many have no dental care at all. It’s a shocking position to be in and should sound alarm bells across the NHS.
“Labour has to get to grips with declining dental care. Its new contracts have, inadvertently, made matters worse because dentists are handing back NHS contracts because they’re telling us that they’re unworkable.
"Betsi Cadwaladr health board is refusing to allow dentists to continue with NHS care for under 18s, something I feel is a bare minimum service to offer in the current crisis.
"A decade or more of dental decay is having knock-on effects on the wider health service and I fear a generation of youngsters will have no access to free dental care if this continues.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "It’s always disappointing when a dentist reduces or ends their NHS commitment. However, the funding stays with the Health Board to replace the level of NHS services. Arrangements are made for urgent care until new ones are established.
“Work is ongoing in North Wales to replace NHS dental contracts which have been handed back. For example, £1.5m has been awarded across five practices, including setting up a new one in Flintshire, with more to follow later this year."
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board told the Leader there are several initatives set to be introduce in a bid to improve dental services in north Wales.
A new digital service launching this autumn will centralise the process for accessing routine care through an NHS dentist for people across Wales.
The service is currently being piloted in Powys, but when rolled out nationally, it will provide Welsh Government, NHS Wales, and partner organisations with a clear picture of the scale of demand for NHS dental services.
It will also mean patients living in every area of Wales will for the first time be able to use the new service, making access to routine NHS dental care simpler and fairer for everyone.
The Health Board has also commissioned a number of non-urgent access sessions across the Health Board, specifically aimed at the provision of dental treatment for patients who are in need of priority treatment.
Patients can be signposted to these sessions from PALS, the North Wales Dental helpline (via NHS Wales 111), the Health Board or holders of urgent access sessions. It is important to note that this scheme provides for treatment of a specific dental issue, and that patients seen under this scheme do not become regular patients of the practice.
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A spokesperson said: "Further General Dental Services activity is currently being procured, as well as additional non-urgent access sessions, which ensure that patients who cannot access an NHS dentist but have a priority clinical need can access treatment.
"This follows a successful procurement exercise to improve access to NHS General Dental Services in the last financial year, which will result in a new dental practice being established in Flintshire, and additional capacity delivered at existing practices in Colwyn Bay, Amlwch, Dolgellau and Caernarfon.
"For individuals who are in pain or with an urgent need, the Health Board offers a number of urgent access dental sessions to provide treatment. These are accessed by contacting the NHS 111 Wales telephone helpline for triage and advice. "
Further information regarding Urgent Dental Service can be found at: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/services/where-do-i-go1/dental/urgent-dental-service/
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