Mansfield dentist warns shortage of emergency dental treatment centres could leave people taking up intensive care beds

Dr Simon Thackeray, who runs his own private practice in Rufford Avenue, was instructed to close on March 25th by the government, along with all other surgeries in the area.

He said that initially he was told that he would be able to see emergency patients, but this was swiftly altered after NHS England announced plans to open emergency dental hubs, where people could be referred by their own dentist.

But he said that currently the nearest hub is in Nottingham, and while the government says plans for a facility in the town are ‘imminent’, he doubts that it will be open to treat patients any time soon.

He added that some patients have become so desperate that they had started to perform make-shift surgery – with one removing a tooth with dental floss and a knife.

He said: “The fact is that private dentists have been forced to shut our doors for face-to-face consultations, but when we have offered to help, they are saying that it’s all going to be served by the NHS. As private dentists we want to help.When did toothache and dentistry become a non-essential piece of healthcare?”

Dr Thackeray, who has been a dentist in Mansfield for 23 years and spent time working for the NHS, also criticised the length of time it is taking to provide sufficient dental provision, and said that the PPE shortage is not the only problem with dentistry during the pandemic.

The 51-year-old, who sits on the British Association of Private Dentists, added: “They can get a 4,000 bed hospital opened in a few days but they can’t sort out dentistry in four weeks. At the moment all we can do is prescribe pain-killers or antibiotics, which not every patient needs.

“Those cases that do need antibiotics, whilst few, can potentially lead to life-threatening airway problems, taking up a valuable ITU bed at a time when it is sorely needed for a Covid patient.”

An NHS England spokesman said urgent care is being offered.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor