Grandmother pulls out nine of her own teeth

People in West Sussex have shared their experiences of struggling to find an NHS dentist in the area. A grandmother-of-five who was unable to register with an NHS dentist has ended up pulling out nine of her own teeth over the past two years. Nikki Titchener, from Durrington, West Sussex, said she had called up more than a dozen dentist practices since January – but had been told they were only taking on private patients. The 53-year-old said: “They are saying they are not taking NHS but if I want to go private, they can see me tomorrow. I think that’s wrong. “It’s not because they don’t have any room. They have, if you have money, which I find frustrating. If I could pay, I would pay.” Nikki said she had not seen a dentist for 16 years because her teeth had always been in a good condition. She believes her problems started when she was put on a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) ventilator about five years ago to help her breathe while she was asleep. This, coupled with new medication she started taking, dried out her mouth and made her gums begin to recede, she said, leading to problems with her teeth. About two years ago, she started trying to find a dentist. But nowhere had space, and she was repeatedly told to call back and try again in three months’ time. She ended up in so much pain that she took her first tooth out herself, using pliers. She has since taken out eight more, using her fingers. She said her teeth hurt her 24/7. “The pain is absolutely indescribable at times,” she said. “Every day they just wobble. I can’t eat anything, it’s horrendous.” And the situation has had a detrimental effect on her mental health, with the grandmother admitting it used to make her avoid going out and seeing people. “You look awful, you’re forever holding your head down, holding your hand over your mouth when you’re talking to people, you’re so self conscious about it,” she said. “It’s horrible.” But the situation had improved since face masks became mandatory, as it gave her an excuse to hide her teeth. “Having to wear a mask, that’s sort of done me a favour,” she added. Nikki, who is not working at the moment, believes the work on her teeth could cost her up to £4,000 if she went private. “I can’t afford to pay,” she said. “I need so much work done.” She believes she is not alone in her predicament, saying she frequently sees people posting on Facebook asking where was accepting NHS patients. “It’s not just me, there are plenty of other people,” she said. “It’s obvious that something is failing.” Resident John MarchantBrodie was left frustrated after he was unable to register his family at an NHS dentist when they moved to Chichester from Dorking in December, 2018. He said: “We tried literally every single dentist in the area. Literally every single one told us they are not accepting NHS patients, they are oversubscribed.” However, he was told they could sign up as private patients, or join a £15 a month scheme. Even practices which advertised that they were taking NHS patients on their websites turned out not to be accepting when he called up. None even had waiting lists they could add his name to, he said. John eventually managed to get himself and his family registered to a practice in Handcross – 35 miles away from their home and an hour’s drive away – from January, 2021. “What angered me is that every single dentist said yes, we can see you as a private patient,” he said. “There’s space to see people, there’s appointments out there. “We pay taxes to see an NHS dentist. If you can’t see one, something needs to be done about it. “I’m a 40-year-old man who drives, who predominantly works from home. Going to Handcross is not too much of a problem. “What if I was a 70-year-old woman who lives alone, who had to get the bus? “What if I was a single mum? “It’s an economic bias. If you have the money, you can see a dentist. If you haven’t, you’re not going to be able to. “I think that’s actually discriminatory against lower income workers in this area.” He said he was worried that new developments in the area would add additional pressure. “All these houses are being built and not one dentist is being built,” he said.