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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| NHS dentist search man pulls out own tooth after 18-month wait | NHS dentist search man pulls out own tooth after 18-month wait |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A man has claimed he pulled out one of his own teeth after waiting more than 18 months to find an NHS dentist. | A man has claimed he pulled out one of his own teeth after waiting more than 18 months to find an NHS dentist. |
| David Woodhouse, 62, said he had been unable to get a spot at a surgery near his home in Truro, Cornwall. | David Woodhouse, 62, said he had been unable to get a spot at a surgery near his home in Truro, Cornwall. |
| "I had a loose one and it was causing me a little bit of pain, so I got the needle-nose pliers and out it came," the engineer said. | "I had a loose one and it was causing me a little bit of pain, so I got the needle-nose pliers and out it came," the engineer said. |
| NHS England encouraged those in need of urgent dental care to contact its emergency helpline. | NHS England encouraged those in need of urgent dental care to contact its emergency helpline. |
| Mr Woodhouse said: "The removal itself was considerably less painful than the long-term pain I was experiencing. | Mr Woodhouse said: "The removal itself was considerably less painful than the long-term pain I was experiencing. |
| 'I'd go anywhere' | 'I'd go anywhere' |
| "I'm not looking forward to the next tooth coming loose, I may have to consider a bank loan to go private, but why should I? | "I'm not looking forward to the next tooth coming loose, I may have to consider a bank loan to go private, but why should I? |
| "I feel so embarrassed as well, it would be nice to eat an apple or a steak again one day." | "I feel so embarrassed as well, it would be nice to eat an apple or a steak again one day." |
| Healthwatch Cornwall, the county's health watchdog, said some people had been waiting more than three years to register with a dentist. | Healthwatch Cornwall, the county's health watchdog, said some people had been waiting more than three years to register with a dentist. |
| Mr Woodhouse, from Ventongimps, near Truro, used to go for regular check-ups at his local practice, but returned from a period working abroad to find that he had lost his place. | Mr Woodhouse, from Ventongimps, near Truro, used to go for regular check-ups at his local practice, but returned from a period working abroad to find that he had lost his place. |
| He was told it would take several days to see an emergency dentist and as he had to travel with work, decided to remove the tooth himself. | |
| "I tried to get an NHS dentist. I went online - nothing. I went on a waiting list - nothing," he said. | "I tried to get an NHS dentist. I went online - nothing. I went on a waiting list - nothing," he said. |
| There are more than 48,000 people on the waiting list in Devon and Cornwall, according to NHS England. | There are more than 48,000 people on the waiting list in Devon and Cornwall, according to NHS England. |
| A search on the NHS website reveals that just one practice in Cornwall is accepting new patients. | |
| Latest NHS figures showed about 52% of adults in Devon and Cornwall had seen an NHS dentist in the past two years, slightly above the average for England. | |
| "It's like looking for gold dust. When you go on the waiting list you have to specify three towns, but I would go anywhere within 100 miles of Truro," Mr Woodhouse said. | "It's like looking for gold dust. When you go on the waiting list you have to specify three towns, but I would go anywhere within 100 miles of Truro," Mr Woodhouse said. |
| "I would go anywhere within half a day's drive - I do not care." | "I would go anywhere within half a day's drive - I do not care." |
| A spokesperson for NHS England said: "We would encourage anyone with an urgent dental need to contact the emergency dental helpline in Cornwall". | A spokesperson for NHS England said: "We would encourage anyone with an urgent dental need to contact the emergency dental helpline in Cornwall". |
| About 27,000 people have been placed with NHS dentists in Devon and Cornwall in the past 12 months. | About 27,000 people have been placed with NHS dentists in Devon and Cornwall in the past 12 months. |
| The cost of a tooth extraction with an NHS dentist is £59.10, and privately can be anywhere between £50 and £370. according to the Which? consumer group. |