UK - Government insist there's 'no reason' to pull out own teeth

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said there's no need to resort to DIY dentistry

NHS dentist crisis: Government insist there's 'no reason' to pull out own teeth
Last updated at 15:27pm on 18th October 2007
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Valerie Holsworth: pulled out own tooth
The Government insisted today that there was no reason why anyone should have to resort to pulling out their own teeth.
A recent survey showed that a few people unable to find an NHS dentist were treating their own problems - including using pliers to pull out teeth.
And two days ago the Mail told how 67-year-old grandmother Valerie Holsworth decided to try some DIY dentistry after feeling failed by the health service.
But Government spokeswoman Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said media reports were sensationalist and there were very few such cases.
She insisted The Government was not going to phase out NHS dentistry. She was replying at question time to Tory Earl Howe who expressed concern over the Dentistry Watch survey findings. She told him: "The situation as outlined by you is not acceptable, but if one looks closely at the survey, the situation is much brighter than the one you have portrayed.
"There is absolutely no reason for anyone to resort to self-treatment.
"The cases which were outlined in the media this week were sensationalist. There are very few such cases. "The survey said that 93% of people interviewed were content with their dental treatment." Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said there's no need to resort to DIY dentistry Earlier, when Tory Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked whether the Government intended to review the present NHS dental contract, Lady Royall said: "The Department keeps the dental system under continuous review."
Lady Parkes replied that the Government had "an appalling record" on dentistry.
She said they had not yet replied to the question whether they intended to phase NHS dentistry out altogether.
She added: "In recent responses in the media, they have said that everyone has access to emergency dental treatment.
"This does not accord with the reports we are getting. How and where is this treatment available to patients and how and where do they know about it?"
Lady Royall replied: "The Government is not going to phase out NHS dentistry. We have a very fine record on dentistry and I am appalled by the sensationalist treatment given by the Press this week.
"Nine out of 10 dentists have signed the contract. The survey shows that 93% of patients were happy with their dental treatment.
"There are more dentists now than there were in 1997 and we have increased the number of dentists in training. That is a very fine record.
"If a person needs emergency treatment, they can go to their primary care trust and demand emergency treatment. That is their right.
They can find a list of dentists on the website via NHS Direct.
"But I know this is still difficult for some people and we are looking to find new ways of communicating information so that they will know where to find an emergency dentist."
When Labour's Lord Soley asked her how the state of British children's teeth compared with other European countries, Lady Royall told him: "Our children have the healthiest teeth in the EU.
"That is largely to do with the very fine toothpaste that we use but in some areas it is also to do with fluoridation."

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Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below?

There is no need for anyone to pull out their own teeth - there are in fact hundreds of dentists waiting patiently for new NHS patients. Also, Iraq did have WMD which will be found some day. And crime has fallen by so much that inner city shootings are nothing but media sensationalist stories. Finally, the new EU treaty is so radically different from the rejected constitutional treaty that Brown is acting entirely honourably by signing it.

- Mark, England

The government is clearly out of touch and in denial.

The village of Ambleside has no NHS dental provision, hopefully the new dental practice will get funding from the Cumbria PCT but I doubt it.

- Percy, Lancashire UK

It's all right for these MPS and the Government say there is no need to pull teeth out. They havent got a clue what goes on in the real world, they have access to PRIVATE DENTISTS where for them, money is no object.

- Jacqui Weems, Southampton