A Torfaen man has started a petition to ‘Call on the Welsh Government to recognise and address the dental crisis facing patients in Wales’.
Jamie Wake, from Abersychan, has launched a campaign called ‘The Tooth Truth’ and collected 248 signatures. Petitions with more than 250 signatures will be discussed by the Petitions Committee. Petitions with more than 10,000 signatures will be considered for a debate in the Senedd
You can view his petition here.
The 47-year-old told Cwmbran Life: “I have diabetes [and] I know one of the things we’re susceptible to is gum disease. I’ve been trying to get registered with a local dentist. With the cost of living crisis no one can afford private work.
“I kept ringing around. I complained to the helpline that says ‘if you can’t find a dentist, ring this number’, then you get an email.
“After doing that call a few times, they send you a spreadsheet. They don’t tell you which ones are taking on NHS patients. You’re left to rind around 70-odd dentists.
“I’m on the phone every week. Some [receptionists] have said ‘please stop calling’.”
Before Christmas, his bridge fell out and “smashed everywhere”, with him describing it as feeling like “lighting hitting my face.” When he called the emergency line he was told he couldn’t get an appointment as he wasn’t in pain even though he couldn’t eat properly.
‘Emergency work’
Jamie said: “All the dentists are aware of the problem. I needed emergency work at the beginning of the year where the tooth was literally coming out the side of my gum. By the time I managed to get a private dentist, it literally fell out and left a gaping hole.
“And then a few weeks later I couldn’t get an emergency appointment as I wasn’t in pain.”
When he saw a dentist he was told “you’ve got gum disease and need regular treatment.” Jamie told him: “That’s the problem, You’re all aware of the problem and no one has got a solution. I lost my temper, not at anyone, but wanted to do something.
“We need the government to say ‘yes, there is a problem’.”
He said the government doesn’t acknowledge the problem but often “praises the emergency [dental] services” and added: “By then it’s too late. Why praise something that’s not working? They’re not finding a solution.”
New dental services contract
On 8 January, Senedd members raised the problem of patients accessing dental services in north Wales. Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said 25,000 new patients have received emergency treatment since 2023 but he accepted this is not a permanent solution to improving access.
He told the Senedd the key opportunity will be the new general dental services contract, which will aim to deliver a model that is attractive to the profession and fair to patients.
Mr Miles said: “I have no doubt that a second facility to increase the number of dental undergraduates, dental therapists, dental hygienists and improve the dental workforce in Wales would have benefits in terms of clinical benefits but also economic benefits.”