A man claims he was forced to repair his own broken tooth using a £3.99 next day delivery dentistry kit he bought online.
Antony Watson, of Bridlington in Yorkshire, originally broke his tooth 20 years ago. Dentists gave him a crown at the time.
But he damaged it a second time after biting into a cookie.
Mr Watson couldn’t book an NHS appointment because he isn’t registered with any clinic.
Antony Watson (above), from Bridlington, is not registered with an NHS dentist and said he could not afford to pay for private dentistry treatment
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Mr Watson searched online for home delivery dentistry kits and chose the £3.99 kit because of its next day delivery perk. Pictured: A kit similar to the one ordered by Mr Watson
How much does NHS dentistry cost?
There are 3 NHS charge bands:
Band 1: £23.80
Covers an examination, diagnosis and advice. If necessary, it also includes X-rays, a scale and polish, and planning for further treatment.
Band 2: £65.20
Covers all treatment included in Band 1, plus additional treatment, such as fillings, root canal treatment and removing teeth (extractions).
Band 3: £282.80
Covers all treatment included in Bands 1 and 2, plus more complex procedures, such as crowns, dentures and bridges.
For comparison, check-ups can cost between £20 and £120 at private dentists, according to Which?.
Dentures and bridges can also cost up to £2,520, the consumer watchdog says.
And he said he ‘definitely couldn’t afford’ to pay for private treatment ‘on the spot’, forcing him to look elsewhere for a solution.
Mr Watson searched online for home delivery dentistry kits and chose the £3.99 kit because of its next day delivery perk.
The kit contained a 20g bag of plastic beads, which are used to fit the shape of your damaged teeth.
He told BBC News today: ‘You boil a kettle, you put the beads into the water.
‘The beads then go together and go real soft and clear. You then shape it around your tooth and let it cool down.
‘With the size of my tooth, it took five beads.’
He then used super glue to secure the beads in place.
While Mr Watson did accidentally superglue his finger, he stated he would happily repeat the process again.
Dentistry experts and charities, including the Oral Health Foundation, have issued repeated warnings throughout the pandemic of the dangers of DIY dentistry, and risks of permanent damage.
Bead-like devices, such as the one Mr Watson used, can be a choking hazard. Such gadgets can also create ‘food traps’, leading to more damage in the future.
It comes amid an ever-worsening crisis in NHS dentistry, which has left millions struggling to get appointments and medics warning that the service is ‘on its last legs’.
Even for those who are able to afford private treatment, there are waiting lists.
NHS dentistry has been in crisis for many years but the situation has worsened since Britain emerged from the pandemic.
Thousands of NHS dentists quit during Covid and industry polls suggest even more are considering going fully private in the near future.
Dentists argue it is no longer financially viable to offer NHS procedures because of a lack of Government investment.
As a result, people have been left with no choice but to pay huge private fees, go without or do their own dental procedures.
Figures obtained by MailOnline last month also show that in the 10 worst counties in England there are just 2,815 NHS dentists serving a population of more than 11.5 million people – or an average of one dentist to every 3,476 people
The country’s best area to receive NHS dental treatment is Cambridgeshire, with 145 dentists covering a population of 319,189
The country’s worst area to receive NHS dental treatment is Kent, with just 407 dentists covering a population of almost 1.6 million – or one to every 3,904 people. While Hampshire, where the dental crisis has been raging for several years, is rated as the second-worst offender, with only one NHS dentist to every 3,773 people in its 1.85 million population
According to NHS Digital data, London recorded the lowest percentage of adults who have seen and NHS dentist in two years. The North East and Yorkshire recorded the highest rate at 41.8 per cent
The number of adults seeing a dentist in England over a two-year period has fallen sharply compared to pre-pandemic levels. Only a third have done so according to the latest NHS data
Figures obtained by MailOnline last month also show that in the 10 worst impacted counties in England, there are just 2,815 NHS dentists serving a population of more than 11.5 million people – or an average of one dentist to every 3,476 people.
In Kent, just 407 dentists cover a population of almost 1.6 million — or one to every 3,904 people.
Hampshire, where the dental crisis has been raging for several years, is rated as the second-worst offender, with only one NHS dentist to every 3,773 people.
According to the latest figures from NHS Digital on NHS dental activity, two-thirds of people in England also haven’t seen a dentist in two years.
Just 16.4million people had a check-up between June 2020 — in the early days of the pandemic — and June 2022, equivalent to 36.9 per cent of the population.
Retired roofer, Alex Gray, from Lincolnshire, told BBC News today that he had been forced to pull out six of his teeth on his own, after failing to find an NHS dentist
- Backlash over NHS’s 5-step recovery blueprint to avert… More beds, 800 new ambulances, and ‘treatment’ via video… How unhealthy is YOUR life? Brutal NHS test ranks you on a… Definitive guide to England’s 6,000+ GP practices: From list…
Read more: Britain’s decaying dental industry is facing a ticking ‘timebomb’, health chiefs warn – as 10 counties with the fewest dentists per person is revealed
Meanwhile, Alex Gray, from Lincolnshire, also told BBC News today that he had been forced to pull out six of his teeth on his own, after failing to find an NHS dentist.
When a tooth ‘starts to fall out’, he takes painkillers he said, and ‘waits until it goes numb’, before using just pliers to try and extract it.
The retired roofer has been unable to find an NHS dentist after moving to Lincolnshire six years ago.
A Liberal Democrat-commissioned poll last year, suggested that one in 20 Britons are resorting to DIY dentistry due to a drought of NHS dental appointments.
Some of the methods other desperate people have resorted to include pulling blackened teeth out with pliers, to making homemade false teeth with resin and superglue.
The latest NHS GP Patient Survey showed that more than 75 per cent of patients who tried to get a dental appointment in the last two years were successful.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS dentists delivered 26.4 million courses of treatment between April 2021 and March 2022, more than double the 12 million reported in the previous 12 months.
Some 24,272 dentists also performed NHS activity between 2021 and 2022, an increase of 539 on the previous year, they said.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told MailOnline today: ‘We are determined to make sure everybody seeking NHS dental care can receive it when they need it, and we have recently implemented dental reforms to deliver this – with the GP Patient Survey showing over 75 per cent of patients who tried to get a dental appointment in the last two years were successful.
They added: ‘The number of dentists practising in the NHS increased by over 500 last year and we are continuing work to improve access to dental care – backed by more than £3 billion annually.’