It's claimed people in Hull are still struggling to get an NHS dentist
Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy says she' still seeing a lot of people with issues
Last updated 11th Jan 2024
It appears there are still significant numbers of people in Hull who are struggling to get an NHS dentist.
The city appears to be a particularly bad area for the issue.
We spoke to Jenny from Hull who has recurring and painful tooth problems due to medical issues and has had to travel to Goole, Scunthorpe, Grimsby and even Doncaster.
She told us: "It's an absolute nightmare - I have to have someone able to take me because you don't always feel well enough after you've had treatment done. "
"I've had someone taking a day off work to be able to take me."
"I have three teeth that need that doing but they will only do one of them."
I've had people tell me they've removed their own teeth
"Because it's classed as an emergency."
"I'm allowed to the go back home and call them again straight away to get another appointment for the next tooth but then it's that travel again."
We also spoke to West Hull and Hessle MP Emma Hardy.
She said: "I heard from someone who bought glue from Amazon to glue his tooth back together because there was a crack in it because he couldn't get a dentist."
"I've had other people who've had to remove their own teeth."
"It's having a huge impact on children's attendance as well and it's having a huge impact on people's ability to work because they're suffering and they're in pain."
A government spokesperson said 1.7 million more adults and around 800,000 more children saw an NHS dentist compared to the previous year, with further improvements planned.