Dental crisis: people 'pulling out their own teeth' as searches for tooth pain up 460% after warning of crisis

• Online searches for “tooth pain” have increased by 460%.
• According to latest statistics more than 2,000 dentists have left the profession since the start of the Covid pandemic.
• A survey by Oral Health Foundation survey found 41% of UK adults cited cost as their primary barrier to seeking dental care.
• Whilst a YouGov Poll suggests that people are resorting to DIY dental work and pulling out their own teeth.

The UK could face a dental health crisis as soaring costs lead to people putting off dental care, according to a recent survey by the Oral Health Foundation.

Searches for “tooth pain” have increased by 460% since 2010, with a YouGov Poll in 2023 suggesting that people are resorting to DIY dental work and pulling out their own teeth as they struggle to access an NHS dentist.

It revealed that one in five people in the UK are not registered with a dentist, 37% have said that is because they cannot find one, whilst 6% have attempted their own dental work between 2021 to 2023.

A third (34%) of those surveyed revealed they had attempted to pulled out their own teeth. 32% gave themselves fillings, whilst others removed or repaired crowns (4%), tried to scale and polish their teeth (4%), filed broken teeth down (3%) or treated their own abscesses and infections (3%).

But it’s not just accessing a dentist that is the problem, with 41% of UK adults citing cost as their primary barrier to seeking dental care, according to the Oral Health Foundation.

Escalating costs of dental treatment was named as the primary concern in their survey, with patients facing prices that have increased far beyond inflation, with treatment fees surging by around 50%.

Dr Carter explained: “For decades, NHS dentistry has been perceived as a separate entity from other NHS services, with patients bearing the brunt of rising costs. This trajectory is unsustainable, especially for vulnerable populations who depend on fully accessible and affordable dental care.”

This is leading to people putting off dental care for financial reasons even though untreated dental problems can lead to serious complications

Dr Carter said: “The consequences of untreated oral diseases are not just confined to the mouth,” adds Dr Carter. “The effects ripple through our overall health. For instance, untreated gum disease is linked to serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, strokes, Alzheimer's, and diabetes.”

Adding: “The potential outcomes are alarming - a surge in preventable chronic illnesses could diminish people's quality of life and impose staggering healthcare costs.”

How to find an NHS dentist?

You can find an NHS dentist in Scotland using NHS Inform, in England using NHS Find a Dentist, for Wales on NHS 111 and in Northern Ireland on HSCNI. However, dental surgeries will not always have the availability to take new NHS patients and you may have to join a waiting list, look for a different dentist who has capacity or seek care privately. Have you had issues accessing an NHS dentist? Share your experience in the comments below.