A recent BBC article had shed light on Leiston in Suffolk, which has now reached the three year milestone of having no NHS dentist in the town, with the last one having closed in 2021.
Prior to this, there was one other practice in the area which closed a year before in 2020.
A campaign called Toothless is raising further public awareness of this in the area, branding Leiston as a ‘Dental Desert‘.
Campaign spokesman, Mark Jones, said:
“Communities must not be ignored any longer. We’re crying out for NHS dentistry and anyone to listen to us and end the pain and suffering that so many families up and down the country are experiencing,
“The reality is, the country as a whole is a dental desert. It’s a big, big problem.”
Campaigners from Toothless, founded in 2021, gathered outside Nichols & Son Butchers on Sizewell Road, Leiston, to protest this ongoing state of affairs, three years after the butcher held a petition on the shop’s counter which was started to draw further attention to the issue.
The butcher, Chris Nichols, said:
“Everyone should be entitled to free NHS dental care which we pay through our National Insurance.
“[The petition] was well received, all of my customers signed it.
“There were several hundred [signatures].”
Mr. Nichols added that some locals had resorted to private treatment, while a lot of others were forced to do completely without.
“I’ve heard stories of people pulling their teeth out with pliers,” he said.
The demonstration was attended by TV crews from Denmark, and Mr. Jones noted their surprise regarding the matter:
“They are absolutely astonished at how we portray ourselves as a big player in the world in economic terms and yet we have people who are resorting to DIY dentistry.
“They can’t understand it at all – I don’t think anyone can really. I will never forget the day that [Toothless] set up our first street stall and the real anger, distress, anxiety that was felt was palpable.
“We’ve not forgotten you and we hope the people of Leiston haven’t forgotten us – we’re fighting for you.
“Private dentists have opened in the town for those that can afford it and the NHS previously said it was committed to “ensuring everyone can access high quality dental care”.
Toothless has reportedly said that it has been working with bodies in the area in an effort to improve the situation.
Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB) has also been working on this issue, with a new dental care plan to improve NHS dental facilities, as well as helping children and the homeless to receive care.
My two penneth
Astonishing that one year has gone by without local access to dental care in the town of Leiston, let alone three! I have covered dental deserts in Hampshire in a prior blog, and I can’t say a great deal more here besides stating that this situation cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.
Communities are in urgent need of dental care, and this is England in 2024. Local and national authorities need to acknowledge this shocking state of affairs and work very quickly to negotiate favourable terms in this area and other similarly affected across the country.