Weston-super-Mare man's dental treatment stopped over lack of staff

Matthew Evans was with his practice for 30 years before he was told they couldn't treat him

A man has been left with constant tooth pain after he was told his NHS dental practice couldn't treat him any more.

Matthew Evans, from Weston-super-Mare, was a patient at mydentist but was told in January 2023 his check-up was cancelled indefinitely as they couldn't recruit NHS dentists.

"I can't eat hard things, and can only eat on one side of my mouth," he said.

A spokesperson for mydentist said it was "actively recruiting for new NHS clinicians to grow our capacity".

Mr Evans had been an NHS patient at the practice for 30 years.

His problems began in August 2022, when he broke a molar at the back of his mouth, and was given a filling which fell out after two weeks.

A few months later, his check-up was cancelled and the surgery told him they couldn't recruit an NHS dentist.

He was then advised to go private as he was unable to find a nearby NHS dentist taking on new patients.

"I took it for granted. I knew new customers had problems getting dentists but didn't really think it would affect people who already had them," he said.

"I don't want to go private. I believe in the NHS, I am proud of it even in its current condition," he added.

Mydentist said it hopes to recruit new NHS dentists soon

Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said Mr Evans' case represented a "significant problem across the whole country.

"We believe 12 million people are seeking NHS dental care but the workforce is diminishing that cant provide the volume of care.

"Many practices are struggling to recruit a workforce," he said.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "The government has taken significant steps to help people get an appointment with an NHS dentist and to receive the treatment they need.

"The government is working on a dentistry plan with NHS England to make further improvements."