Hundreds are turning up at A&E with dental complaints

Hundreds of people are turning up at West Sussex’s over-stretched A&E’s each year with toothache and other dental complaints.

Critics have blamed the trend on rocketing fees for NHS dentistry and continued difficulty accessing appointments – even before coronavirus brought dental treatment to a standstill.

In 2018-19, 1,298 patients turned up at A&E departments at hospitals run by Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – costing an estimated £218,064, figures obtained by JPIMedia Investigations show.

This was less than the 1,554 that presented at hospitals the year before, the Freedom of Information request revealed.

However, in the first three quarters of 2019-20, the latest period for which data was available, the figure already stood at 1,052.

In England, almost 64,000 people suffering dental problems turned to A&E departments and minor injury units in 2019/20.

Common complaints included toothache, cavities and gum disease. The BDA said in almost all cases, patients were unlikely to get anything more than pain relief and would be referred to a dentist, meaning this route offered little help while lumbering the NHS with extra costs. Dave Cottam, chairman of its General Dental Practice committee, said: “It’s no surprise patients were turning up at A&E departments in droves. Millions have struggled to secure an NHS dental appointment, and those that do find themselves clobbered with inflation-busting hikes in charges. Covid has simply upped the ante.”

People with urgent tooth problems are advised to seek treatment at emergency dental services instead of A&Es. But Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, which