According to the Sunday Express, almost a fifth of people in the UK have given up going to see their dentist due to the high prices and around a third of adults are no longer registered with an NHS clinic. Industry experts are worried that a surge in DIY dentistry could mean that patients are leaving themselves open to injury and they are at risk of dental problems that could easily be identified and treated during the early stages.

Cases that have sparked concern include that of a Gulf War veteran from Yorkshire who pulled out thirteen of his own teeth using pliers, after he developed severe toothache and could not find an NHS dentist to help him. Another instance involves a 46-year-old man from South London who had to undergo major surgery after glue he used to stick his dental crown back in caused the bone to rot beneath the gums. Dentists have also reported patients who have attempted home whitening using household cleaning products and some that are popping ulcers with pins.

Chief Dental Officer for NHS England, Barry Cockcroft, reminded patients that children get treatment for free under the NHS, as do about a third of the adult population, and added that the number of people visiting the dentist for a check-up has improved since May 2010. In reference to treatment prices, he said ‘For those who do pay, NHS dentistry charges are very simple. Anyone worried about charges should speak to their dentist, who can help them ensure their treatment is affordable. No one should feel any need to put themselves in danger by attempting their own dentistry.’

According to new statistics released by the Scottish Government, people in Glasgow are costing more money than the rest of Scotland when it comes to dental treatment – approximately £57 for adults and £73 for children in the last year. NHS Ayrshire and Arran came in second, with around £52 for adults and £71 for children. The cheapest place for tooth care was Orkney, spending as little as £23 on adult dental treatment.

Experts say that the dramatic difference in price is probably caused by poor diet in some areas of Scotland, along with a lax attitude towards oral hygiene; overall, people who fail to brush their teeth or teach their children good hygiene habits cost the NHS almost £260million last year. Clinical director for the Scottish Centre for Excellence in Dentistry, Arshad Ali, said that it was important for parents to set a good example with dental hygiene; he said ‘In areas with higher levels of deprivation, such as Glasgow, information shows that dental health is poorer. Poor dental health is very much related to diet and frequency of tooth brushing. It is important that people brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste and for parents to pass on good advice to their children.’

Mr Ali also added that any symptoms of dental problems should be addressed quickly, saying ‘It is important to get treatment early. You will get parents who bring children in at the first sign of a problem and other wait till their children are in real pain. At this point, the cost of treatment will be higher.’

According to a new review released under NHS medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, people who undergo cosmetic injections to improve their skin have no more protection than someone buying a toothbrush. The filler and Botox market is currently worth almost £3bn, but experts are worried that the ‘explosive growth’ in treatments could be a ‘crisis waiting to happen’ if measures are not put in place to protect patients from unqualified practitioners.

The review, which was set up following the PIP breast implant scandal, calls for greater restrictions on advertising and for all clinics, NHS and private, to publish their complication rates. Dermal fillers are to be made available only through prescriptions and all practitioners have to have proof of their qualifications. Furthermore, it has been suggested that a private ombudsman should be appointed to deal with complaints about private medical care, which includes dermal filler injections.

Sir Bruce said ‘We have heard terrible reports about people who have trusted a cosmetic practitioner to help them but, when things have gone wrong, they have been left high and dry with no help. This needs to change.’

Health minister Dan Poulter was in agreement, saying ‘If anything good can come of the awful episodes like the PIP scandal, it is that the safety of the procedures that people may choose to undergo has been questioned. It is clear that it is time for the government to step in to ensure the public are properly protected. The independent panel has made some far-reaching recommendations – the principles of which I agree with entirely.’

A 73-year-old man has been forced to pull out his own tooth after he was turned away from both private and NHS dental clinics in the Leominster area of Herefordshire. Angus Macintyre, a retired teacher, suffered with toothache for three months but managed to keep the pain under control with the help of heavy painkillers he was already taking for his arthritis. Eventually the pain became unbearable and Angus contacted several clinics in the area, only to be told that it would be at least a month until the tooth could be removed.

Angus told Mailonline that his wife spoke to several private dentists, but unfortunately they were not licensed to perform extractions. As the pain became too much, the former soldier decided it would be easier to carry out the surgery himself with a pair of pliers. He said ‘It was just a few moves inwards, then outwards, a few little cracks and clicks and then thirty seconds later it was out.’

Although dentists do not recommend trying this at home, Angus was delighted with the results, saying ‘Once the tooth was out I felt like I was floating to the ground on a parachute of euphoria.’

Shortly after the DIY extraction, Mr Macintyre tried to go to the dentist to make sure there were not going to be any complications, but again was told that it would be a long time before an appointment could be arranged. He added ‘I went with the tooth and my hole to the clinic just to have it checked over and make sure everything was okay, but they told me the wait time was about four hours – so I just left. There have been no problems since, so I must have made a decent job of it.’

Over 10,000 dental patients in Devon and Cornwall have received NHS dental treatment from students of Plymouth University over the past five years. The students studying at the Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD) provide various dental services under the supervision of a qualified professional; the school first opened its doors as an educational facility in 2007.

Professor Christopher Tredwin, head of the PCMD said that the quality of care was very high and patients were roundly enthusiastic about the service, with one patient even stating that he ‘doesn’t mind being a guinea pig’ because the treatment is ‘first rate.’ Patient John Hart went on to say that the facility is ‘absolutely brilliant’; citing cost as one of the factors that stopped him getting professional treatment, he added ‘Dentists these days are very expensive and this isn’t cost me anything.’

Director of Primary Care for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Bridget Sampson, said that the used of student dentists represents a ‘positive contribution to dental care in the region’. She also added that ‘we supported the creation of the dental school as we recognised the benefits of training people locally in the hope they may decide to remain in Cornwall to practice.’

It was announced today that dental charges and the cost of prescriptions will rise by 20p. The price of a prescription in England will go up to £7.85 on April 1^st.

According to Health Minister Earl Howe, NHS dental charges will also increase at the same time; he outlined the alterations in a written statement to parliament, explaining that the cost of prescription pre-payment certificates (PPC) was not going to change. The cost of a three month PPC would remain at £29.10 for another year, with the annual PPC unchanged at £104. Minister Howe said that ‘PPC’s offer savings for those who need four or more items in three months or 14 or more in one year.’

Charges for dental treatment are to be increased by a small amount, with band 1 procedures rising by 50p to £18, band 2 from £48 to £49 and band 3 treatments will go from £209 up to £214. The Minister continued ‘dental charges represent an important contribution to the overall cost of dental services. The exact amount raised will be dependent upon the level and type of primary dental care services commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board and the proportion of charge-paying patients who attend dentists and the level of treatment they require.’

NHS optician vouchers are also affected by the changes, with the price increasing by 1%, to help patients with the cost of glasses and contact lenses.’

When the Ramsgate and Sandwich dental practices ended their contracts in August 2012, 6,334 NHS spots were lost, with the patients being offered temporary access to care across East Kent and Medway; now the National Health Service has announced that 15,000 places will be added to their register, which should be available from April this year.

Head of Primary Care Dental services in the area, Annie Godden, said that contract negotiations with the new provider were currently being finalised, making sure that the places are available by April 2013 to cover the patients who have been waiting in temporary care. The clinics providing the places are expected to cover the Ramsgate and Sandwich area easily, so that patients don’t have to travel further than usual to make it to appointments.

Two Thanet MP’s have welcomed the news that more dental treatment will be available to the general public; Laura Sandys said that ‘We ensured that everyone was aware just how imperative it was to get the new NHS providers in place as quickly as possible and as close as practicable to the previous practices. I am delighted that these 15,000 NHS places are secure.’

Sir Roger Gale described the developments as ‘a huge relief’ and said that this should ‘satisfy the needs of those of our constituents requiring NHS dental treatment.’

Professor Michael Lewis, the Dean of Cardiff University’s School of Dentistry has pointed out an anomaly which is jeopardising his students’ career opportunities.

As part of their training, dentistry students have to complete a year-long Dental Foundation (DF1) Training Course within a practice in order to work as a dentist within the NHS.

But Professor Lewis claims that dentists from Europe are exempt from this and UK graduates are therefore losing positions to fellow graduates who have come from overseas, attracted by the prospects that UK dentistry has to offer.

He points out that graduates in the UK must complete the NHS-funded DFI Training within 18 months of finishing their fourth year. If a graduate fails to secure a training place within this time limit, options to pursue their chosen career will be limited.

Professor Lewis is adamant that the system should be changed to protect UK dentists and the investment that has been made in their training.

The current system means that students in this country could be up to

£50,000 in debt by the time they apply for the course, and in addition, it is estimated that it costs the taxpayer more than

£100,000 to train each graduate dentists. In 2012, 35 UK graduates were denied DF1funding.

Professor Lewis would like to move to a system where the DF1 places are locked on for the UK graduates when they start the course, so that when people are being taken on, it is known that they are going to be able to receive the necessary training. Otherwise, he says, it is a significant waste of taxpayers’ money and a tragedy for the graduates who have taken on large amounts of debt in order to pursue their vocation.

The Welsh Government has said that it is well aware of an increased demand from European students, but it believes that all the Cardiff graduates were either in DF1 training or in other employment.

However, the students themselves are concerned that the 35 people who did not get DF1 training in 2012 will have a snowball effect, because they would be trying again in 2013. A spokesman said that it was such a stress thinking about the five years training and finding out that they could not get work at the end of it.

Experts are advising dental clinics to remove magazines from their waiting areas in order to stop the spread of germs, but some professionals are sceptical about the recommendations; Monica Symes, a practicing dentist in Lyme Regis was told by an NHS infection control worker that she should throw out her magazines after a week.

Miss Symes said she couldn’t believe that the magazines would pose a real risk to the health of patients, saying ‘Generally we try to keep up-to-date but plenty of old magazines are quite interesting.’ She was also told that the Blu-Tack on posters could be equally dangerous if re-used over and over.

The General Dental Council said that it’s difficult to see how magazines would be a real problem and that they were a good way of helping patients relax before going in for treatment. The Care Quality Commission also said that they were not banning magazines or Blu-Tack from waiting rooms, saying ‘The only time these things would be an issue would be if they were used in such a way as to compromise someone using the service – and it’s pretty hard to see what these circumstances might be.’

Dorset PTC recommends that waiting areas are kept clutter-free, saying that ‘There is no specific requirement for practices to remove magazines within a specified period. However, practice owners, as part of a regular cleaning schedule, should ensure that the magazines are in good condition and free from obvious contamination. This advice will be kept under review and may be modified in the event of any future community infection outbreak.’

Dentists at Manchester University have had a break through with new technology Osteodent, which they hope will help to identify patients who are at risk of osteoporosis years before the condition develops. Osteoporosis reduces the density of the bones, which weakens their structure and leaves them prone to breakage; until now, the illness could only be diagnosed after bone damage becomes apparent.

Researchers have now discovered that deterioration in the jaw bone can reveal early on whether this is a problem in other areas of the body. The study involved 5,000 dental x-rays from patients between the ages of 15 and 94, and it showed that accelerated bone loss in the jaw was indicative of similar problems elsewhere in the body. With these results, the dentists have developed software that can assess the patient’s future risk of the disease, allowing them to investigate the problem further before it takes hold.

Hugh Devlin, professor of restorative dentistry at Manchester University developed the technique with several of his colleagues; he explains ‘Dentists are uniquely positioned to provide such a service as they see patients regularly and routinely perform x-ray examinations. Software such as Osteodent could save lives and, with early diagnosis and treatment, including preventative therapy, this could save the NHS many millions of pounds too.’