Like pulling teeth

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has spoken out against the neglect to dental services by both the UK and Scottish Governments.

During Health and Social Care business questions in Parliament today, the Liberal Democrat MP highlighted the horrifying number of people performing 'DIY dentistry' after failing to get an appointment.

A recent poll found that one in ten Britons have attempted to carry out their own dental work with over half of these doing so within the last two years.

The most recent Public Health Scotland figures has the number of dental claims made in October 2022 as 323,896, down from 525,848 before the pandemic.

Christine said:

“Dental care, like any other form of healthcare, should be universally accessible. We are being painfully let down by the Scottish and UK Governments.

“Speaking to my constituents, I am all too aware of the frustration of accessing dental services. Many are giving up and some are taking matters into their own hands.

“These horrifying reports of DIY dentistry should be a warning for the Scottish Government on just how bad things can get. They must address this as a matter of urgency. 

“Both Governments need to fix the broken NHS dentistry system and make sure everyone can see a dentist on the NHS when they need to.”