A woman desperate for dental treatment has travelled to Turkey after claiming she couldn't see a UK-based dentist unless she paid £19,000 and took out a second mortgage. Sally Murphy lives in Wirral, which is an area that has seen one of the biggest drops in NHS dentists, losing 10 per cent of the dentist workforce in the last five years.
Sally, 58, says the problem arose during Covid-19 when she was removed as an NHS patient from her old dentist. She was unable to find another dental practice that would take her on as a patient.
As reported by Echo, Mrs Murphy researched various options including going private. However she was shocked to discover the private dentist route would cost her more than £19,000.
She booked an operation in Turkey instead. The total cost of treatment, flights and hotel in Antalya cost approximately £5,000 which is nearly a quarter of what she says she would have to pay privately in the UK.
Despite the treatment and flights being booked, Sally remained uneasy. She said: “Do you know what? I still don’t feel confident, I am going today and I am actually terrified."
Dental operations in Turkey have gained popularity over the past few years due to their lower price-point in comparison to UK-based treatments. Some people have suffered serious complications whilst undergoing dental treatment in Turkey according to a BBC investigation.
Others have walked away with 'Turkey Teeth' which are super-white, super-square teeth and which may be eye-catching for all the wrong reasons. A British Dental Association spokesperson (BDA) called it “a national disgrace” that patients were going abroad to receive treatment.
During the leadership election, then-candidate Liz Truss said dentistry would be one of her top priorities. Truss stated action on the access crisis in dentistry and general practice would be a 'top three' target in her first 90 days in office.
Many Wirral residents spoke to Echo saying they were also struggling to get dental treatment. Some said they had been waiting months whilst others had opted for the private route and had to pay the associated high costs.
Some people had resorted to visiting A&E as this was the only way they would be able to get treated. Some had taken matters into their own hands and even tried to fix their teeth at home.
Mrs Murphy had a dental bridge put in via the NHS when she was 22 after her teeth were knocked out, but during Covid-19 the enamel began to fall out. She said she tried to contact her old dentist throughout Covid-19 and when she eventually got through, she said she was told she couldn’t re-register.
Getting dental treatment was a matter of urgency for Mrs Murphy owing to her job role which is client-facing. She said: “I am really self-conscious about my teeth.
"My self-confidence is zero at the moment because I can do nothing about getting it fixed unless I get a second mortgage out. For the trip, I am going to make a tooth out of putty as I currently look like Nanny McPhee.”
Mrs Murphy flew out on September 20 and hopes to have the operation done by Friday. She plans to document the procedure.
Dr Tam Haque has worked as a dentist for 25 years. He said practices in Wirral are struggling to foot the bill taking NHS patients on because of funding problems.
He said: “The funding is so low it is almost impossible to run a business. Even if we wanted to, there seems to be no capacity to increase our NHS work load.
“The more you work to help people who need lots of treatment, you'll likely be penalised. This is because you will miss your targets and get your funding cut.
"It is an impossible situation. If you are having to turn away children and people in need, it is very frustrating and upsetting."
A British Dental Association spokesperson (BDA) said: “It’s shameful that the provision of NHS dentistry has become such a postcode lottery, that some people are being forced to go abroad to access affordable treatment they desperately need, or even resorting to DIY dentistry. This is the reality for patients who are at the sharp end of a decade of savage cuts to the dental budget.
"Successive governments have failed to tackle the NHS dental crisis, only funding care for around half the population. The BDA estimates it would take an extra £880m a year simply to restore resources to 2010 levels.”
A spokesperson for the NHS in the North West said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the North West region. It has inevitably led to a disruption in routine dental care with NHS dentists having to focus on providing care for those with an urgent dental need.
“It is important to note that anyone who is in dental pain or in urgent need of support, help or advice, can telephone their own dental practice in the usual way. If they don’t have a usual dentist and have an urgent need they can contact the dental helpline on 0161 476 9651.
“The NHS recently announced the first reforms to dentistry services since 2006 which will support practices to improve access including by giving high performing practices the opportunity to increase their activity and treat more patients. Discussions around further changes that benefit patients and staff are ongoing.”
