Dental services on the Isle of Wight have been branded the ‘biggest health inequality’ for residents by a health watchdog.
One person has been trying for over 12 years to register with a dentist and people having to borrow money for necessary treatment, according to Healthwatch Isle of Wight.
At a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s policy and scrutiny committee for health and social care, Joanna Smith, manager of Healthwatch IW, said they had received a huge amount of feedback from people who have been having trouble with dental services which and has led to the watchdog, launching a survey to find out more.
So far, since the survey was launched in November, more than 400 people have completed the survey and Ms Smith said some awful stories had been shared. She said:
“We have heard from families whose children have never seen a dentist because they cannot access an NHS dentist.
“We have had a huge amount of people having to refuse private dental treatment because they cannot afford it.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, people were contacting us to say they were in excruciating pain — now we are seeing the longer-term effects. People are coming to us as they cannot chew food, so they are having to have a soft food diet and this is severely limiting what they can eat.”
With people unable and reluctant to visit their dentist during the course of the pandemic, Ms Smith said head and neck cancer referrals have reduced, as dentists have not been able to pick up the signs.
There has also been evidence issues with teeth have caused depression and severe psychological problems.
Specialist dental services, for people with additional needs, are also suffering from a long waiting list for support.
Ms Smith said:
“This is an absolutely huge issue on the Island, caused through a lack of NHS dentists and by the fact that many people who are registered with an NHS dentist haven’t had an appointment for a long, long time.
“I cannot stress enough how important this is and what a huge impact this is having on Island people at the moment.”
Councillor John Nicholson, chair of the crutiny committee, said the council would raise the issue with NHS England as they had done so in the past.
To complete the Healthwatch survey about your experiences with dentists on the Island, you can do so here www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/VRV2ZF/ until 31st December.
One person has been trying for over 12 years to register with a dentist
more like that person has been a nuisance to a previous dentist and none of them will treat the individual.
How do you know that. I suppose you’re retired house all paid for and can afford a private dentist. I am alright Jack and s*d everyone else
SRichards
no i am not retired, no i do not own a house – i use an NHS dentist and a private hygienist, however, you are right, I am not fussed about anyone else, as long as I am ok.
Yet the council are going to build thousands, not a thousand, but thousands of new homes here.
To them it matters not about schooling, dentists, doctors, all the top officials have private care and education.
The rest of us, to them, can go whistle.
I say vote them out, as they care nothing for us, let’s return the favour.
I agree ,the island is full , simple as that , our infrastructure can’t cope with any more housing . Our NHS was crumbling here before the pandemic .
I’ve been trying to get a busted tooth fixed since april .but my dentist refuses to see me .
This country is a joke when it comes to dentistry, quite literally.
Other countries around the world have a stereotype of english people with crooked poor quality teeth.
The government need to get on top of the issue nationally and as for the island, it like a third world country when it comes to the dentists here.
I’m not slating the quality of the dentistry locally but the availability, prices, and treatments available on NHS.
“Councillor John Nicholson, chair of the scrutiny committee, said the council would raise the issue with NHS England as they had done so in the past.”
Doesn’t sound like it has worked in the past does it? May be do something more this time and get our local MP involved to take up the cause.
To ensure nothing useful happens, draft in the hyper-active Seldom Seely!
This situation has existed for many years, yet has only now suddenly come to the attention of watchdogs.
Cllr Nicholson says IWC will raise the issue as it has done in the past – so what happened last time they raised it? Exactly: nothing.
Time for Scrutiny Committee to start earning its keep. But of course scrutiny is not welcomed by the current administration, at any level, from County Hall to Westminster.
Sadly people in the UK are soo dim. They never kick off when millions of extra people fill the UK, the majority on benefit of some kind, meaning they get FREE dentistry and FREE prescriptions etc.
Whilst many of these people di work, they ONLY work the minimum hours or for low pay so they still claim child and working tax credits, which then entitles all recipients of such to FREE dental and prescriptions.
As the amount of such people grows ever larger, then those of us who do have to pay, pay more to cover these people who not only get given more freebees and subsidised rent and council tax, but are given hundreds a week in tax credits to ‘make up’ their wages.
SO they gain both ways, more money, working LESS hours than most, AND having to pay nothing for the above and receiving heavily subsidised rent and c.tax
Truly they ARE having their cake and eating it too.
I know this for a FACT because I was once on this scam gravy train, and had never been so well off.
you then get dentists etc, quitting the profession as they didn’t sign up to treat spongers
There is a reason why there is a lack of dentists, or many other highly qualified professionals on the island. If you are a young professional who puts a lot of store on fact that to be a young professional you have received high class education and support why would you want to move your children into a “bubble” that is the Isle of Wight, with a cloying retrograde atmosphere that has pretty much no idea if how the real world works, and for the most part offers sub standard education for kids.. The professionals that do move here to take up jobs are often those who aren’t what might be called top of their game compared to mainland posts that get filled where maybe they look for the best of the best.. so we take what we can get, whatever the qualities of the applicant. Not saying in all cases, but let’s face it iow is not desirable location for anyone who wants to make it in their profession, and give their kids the best life chances, that maybe they had themselves..
I really wish I had an NHS dentist. I haven’t had treatment for 13 years until last month when I had a nasty infection and after antibiotics it was ok but the emergency dentist recommended a hygienist but there’s no way I can afford the prices. I just have to keep my fingers crossed and keep brushing
a hygienist is £45 or thereabouts for a 30 minute appointment and you only need to see one usually between one and three times a year, depending on your situation.
the amount that benefit claimants spend on sky tv, mobile phones, internet and takeaways, I would be surprised if most people couldn’t rustle up £45 a year.
Don’t be so stupid nobody on £70 approx a week can afford any of that.Go back to sleep in your ivory castle and stop begrudging those who have nothing having anything whilst you have it all
£45 a year, is 86p per week – get a lower tariff mobile, or ditch the sports package on sky.
oh and richards, stop virtue signalling, there is no nobility in being poor
My family and I moved to the Island 2 years ago and after a few phone calls we registered with The Mall Dental Practice NHS dentist in Newport. They’ve been open since June when we had to use them for an emergency and since then have had our family check up and then subsequent treatment. So….to be fair …there are dentists who are open and seeing patients.
In terms of someone waiting 12 years to see a dentist, well you need to be proactive , as with most things. Perhaps this individual is waiting for the tooth fairy to sort it out for them.