North Devon NHS orthodontist shortage 'leaving patients in pain'

NHS Devon said it was aware of the challenges and it was working hard to find solutions

A shortage of NHS orthodontists in north Devon has left some children with broken braces, in pain and without help, it has been claimed.

Some parents said braces were being left on too long and checks stopped mid-treatment.

Orthodontists said it was caused by underfunding, NHS contracts and recruitment issues.

NHS Devon said it was aware of the challenges and it was working hard to find solutions.

It said: "Emergency care is available for patients and the process to access urgent treatment has been shared with them."

There are currently two NHS dentists providing orthodontic care in north Devon and both have big waiting lists.

'Self-conscious'

Macy Woolway, 14, should be getting her braces removed later this month but said she has not seen an orthodontist since October and has not had her six-week check with a technician since March.

Her orthodontist left the practice and has not been replaced.

"It's really bad. I just want them off," she said. "It makes me feel self-conscious. I want to know when I'll have the appointments so I can know how long it is until I get them off."

Macy's parents Donna and Gareth have been trying to find another orthodontist in the area but have been told it is not possible.

They said their only remaining option is to pay for private treatment across the border in Bude, Cornwall, 35 miles away.

Donna said: "We're scared she's going to break them and we're not going to be able to see anyone to fix that for her.

"So she could be left in quite a bit of pain, as once they break they can cause ulcers in the mouth very quickly."

Tracey Hill's daughter Izzy, who is also 14, was in the same situation until recently. Her parents said her treatment stopped when her NHS orthodontist left a practice in Barnstaple.

After months of waiting, they were offered a one-off emergency appointment with a visiting orthodontic technician. Ms Hill felt she had no choice but to ask for her daughter's braces to be removed prematurely.

"I just felt because there was no emergency provision, and no-one knowing if or when another orthodontist would come in, I couldn't risk her being left in pain," she said.

Ms Hill said she had heard from dozens of families in the area who were also worried about the situation.

'Improve access'

The British Orthodontic Society said recruiting orthodontists to rural areas like north Devon was particularly difficult.

Director of clinical practice Dr Anshu Sood said the problem also lies with NHS contracts and funding available to orthodontists.

"The NHS contract needs to be managed in a way that serves patients better," she said.

"For example if patients move areas, there needs to be an ability for them to transfer between providers.

"If patients lose their orthodontist there needs to be an ability to move between providers and the funding system as it is just doesn't allow for that."

A spokesperson for MyDentist, which is one of the providers of orthodontic care in North Devon, said: "Sadly, there is an acute shortage of NHS clinicians across the whole of the UK, but particularly in the South West. Although our team is working extremely hard to provide care for as many patients as is safely possible, it's a situation that has left many practices in North Devon under extreme pressure.

"We would like to apologise to our patients for any delays they may have experienced and to provide reassurance that we are doing all that we can to recruit more clinicians to join our team. The care of our patients remains our first priority and we're committed to working with the NHS to find a solution."

The Department of Health said: "We are making progress to boost NHS dental services, with 23% more courses of treatment delivered last year compared to the previous year and the highest amount of orthodontic care in the past five years.

"We will shortly set out further measures to improve access and increase the number of NHS dentists through our dental recovery plan."

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