'I spent uni savings on getting my teeth fixed' - how NHS dentist shortage is costing a fortune

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. 'I spent uni savings on getting my teeth fixed' - how NHS dentist shortage is costing a fortune18 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleNick TriggleHealth correspondentDominic Hughes/BBCDeacon Galloway paid nearly £800 for treatment at a private dental clinicLast summer Deacon Galloway was busy getting ready for university. His grandparents had been putting money away to help him with the costs, but then he faced an unexpected bill. He needed some dental work done and could not find an NHS dentist close to where he lived in North Yorkshire.

Deacon, now 19, felt he had no choice but to go private. It cost him nearly £800 - a third of the money his grandparents had saved up - for two fillings and two replacement fillings. On the NHS, he could have got this free because he was under 19 and in full-time education.

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"It was really upsetting, but I had no choice," says the University of Manchester student. "I knew if I didn't get my teeth done they would get worse. "Fees risingIt is a dilemma many are facing because of problems accessing NHS care.

For years, we've reported on the issue, with some British towns known as 'dental deserts' - where there are simply no NHS dentists at all. Around a third of people getting dental treatment in the UK pay for it privately, according to the General Dental Council. But less than a fifth of those do it through choice.

Your Voice has been contacted by a number of people who felt they had no option but to turn to private dentists and describe dipping into savings and even taking out loans to get treatment. And this is happening as the cost of private dentistry is rising rapidly. A UK-wide analysis by MyTribe Insurance found the price of initial consultations had risen by 23% in two years to £80 on average, while simple extractions have gone up by 32% to £139.

What Experts Say

It also found a wide variation in root canal charges with prices in some places reaching £660 compared to a £400 average. In comparison, NHS treatment is subsidised by the UK governments - meaning for the public it is free for certain groups or capped at one of three price bands for others. For root canal treatment, for example, NHS treatment costs five times less than it does to go privately.

MyTribe warned "surging" prices in the private sector and lack of NHS access was leaving patients "struggling to afford essential care". Are dentists exploiting the lack of NHS care? It is an issue being looked at by the Competition and Markets Authority who has launched an investigation – alongside looking at price rises, the regulator is also examining the way dentists communicate with patients about cost and different options.

Many dentists offer a mix of NHS and private work. Rebecca Curtayne, of Healthwatch England, a patient watchdog, says they too have concerns with people reporting private dentistry is "too expensive".

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.