A Leeds man claims he has been pulling his own teeth out for the last 15 years as he’s been unable to book an NHS dentist appointment.
Ex-butcher David Sergeant, 50, says he prepares by loosening the offending tooth gradually over time and when the day of reckoning comes, he downs a couple of beers and “fills himself up” on Ibuprofen to numb the pain and yanks each tooth out. The following day there’s “a bit of blood” and he’s admitted that he ought to be” taken care of”.
The Seacroft man, originally from Harehills, now has an almost toothless grin, with multiple empty cavities showing how many times he’s had to resort to such drastic action. The NHS insists reforms have come in which will allow practices to take on more patients. It's advised against self treatment, asking people in need of help to call the NHS 111 number or a local dentistry practice.
