Reopened Bristol dental practice struggling to cope with demand
Saint Pauls Dental Practice opened on Monday and has seen thousands desperate to register
Saint Pauls Dental Practice in Bristol has been receiving thousands of emails per day, with people looking to register for NHS treatment.
The centre opened on Monday and saw people queuing around the block to register, with some waiting for four hours to get their names on the books.
"We were not expecting that many in the queue on day one," said Shivani Bhandari, the co-owner of Saint Pauls Dental Practice.
Shivani understands it's impossible to register everyone.
"There's nobody taking NHS patients and the phones - they don't stop!
"People have been calling since 6 o'clock in the morning and we physically can't actually do it."
To try and stop people waiting outside in the cold, the dentist is now asking people who want to register to email or call them.
Dr Ghouri Pradhan is a dentist at the practice: "There's been an immense response.
"We're thankful for the community but we are inundated with the numbers we're seeing now.
"We can't comprehend the problem but we don't know the solution.
"All we can do is open a dental practice and help the community and that's what we're trying to do best."
Joy arrived at the practice on Wednesday morning (7th February) hoping to register, but she was told she should go home and try emailing the practice.
"It's frustrating," she said, "it's sad you can't get to see any dentist but no-one's taking you.
"If something happened, I'd have to sell my car or take out a loan - maybe go to Turkey!
"I love my teeth and I want to keep them."
Audrey joined today's queue hoping to get registered, but was also told to go home.
"I desperately need dental work so I just last week put in Swindon in the search and I have got an appointment but it's sixty miles away with a dental technician - not a dentist.
"Every day searching for a dentist - that's the closest I could find.
"To go private is so expensive, there's no way I can afford private treatment but I'm desperate."
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrived in Bristol this morning to speak to the people in the queue and the dentists at the centre.
He laid out Labours plans to reform the NHS dental contract and provide 700,000 urgent dental appointments should they come to power.
The Government has promised to tackle the problem by offering cash to dentists as part of a plan to boost services across England.
Dentists will be offered cash to take on new patients and given £20,000 “golden hellos” to work in communities with a lack of NHS dental services.