Half the country can't get an NHS dentist - and haven't had any treatment for two years

daily mail ^ | 17th April 2008 | JAMES CHAPMAN

[george76]

The full, desperate state of dental care across the country can be revealed today.

Half the population has received no dental care on the NHS in the last two years.

And thousands of suffering patients are turning up at hospital emergency departments for treatment because they cannot find an NHS dentist.

Shocking figures seen by the Daily Mail suggest there have been 27,000 more hospital admissions since the Government bungled the introduction of a new contract for dentists.

Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley said: "We know that there are people out there who are pulling out their own teeth because they can't find a NHS dentist."

In total, 23,161,368 people in England - almost half the population - received no dental care on the Health Service in the two years up to last September.

[justiceseeker93]

Seems like the Brits will fast be catching up to the Russians in the category of repulsive appearance of teeth.

[VanShuyten]

I lived in Japan for a long time, and their health care is OK. Some was very good- best in the world, and at other times, I had to be the doctor. In general, it was as good as here. It was also very expensive, although since the payments were taken out of my check, the cost at the time of use seemed cheap. You also have to remember that the Japanese are very educated, generally honest (with the usual government and personal corruption), generally peaceable, don't drive nearly as much, especially after drinking, and don't do a lot of drugs. They also eat less meat, get regular check-ups, pay their doctors very well, and don't have 7% of their population living there illegally. Try dropping socialized medicine in Anacostia or Langley Park(DC and MD, near where I live), and you'll be bankrupt in the first year.

[Crolis]

This is actually my favorite place to rant against government healthcare.

LOL. You and I think alike. I love to bring up health care as a topic when I'm stuck at the DMV. Seems like the perfect place as everyone there is experiencing government ineptitude on a grand scale.

I'm normally a mild-mannered guy but for some reason when I step into a government building, my fuse becomes much shorter. Seems like it takes very little for me to get annoyed by a government worker.

[chainsaw]

it won’t produce another doctor because we’ve got a shortage of space in medical schools.

Right on. There have been several dental schools close over the past 10-15 years, so in the future look for a shortage of Dentist. (Loyola-Chicago, Northwestern, Washington U.-SL, Oral Roberts to name four.)

[FormerACLUmember]

Classic British Socialist teeth! Soon to be replaced with the dime store joke teeth they call British Socialist dentures!

[Pining_4_TX]

Why,yes! Everyone has coverage. It’s just that no one has access. Coming to our country soon! We’ll all have cards to carry, just no way to use them.