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THE struggle for many is real. Trying to get into the dentist is as hard as getting an appointment with a GP.
And if you live in Rochford, access to a dentist is particularly problematic.
The district has been named one of the hardest places to see a dentist in the UK.
Data from the Local Government Association shows Rochford is one of the places in the UK with the lowest number of NHS dentists.
The data for July to September this year shows Rochford has 0.068 dentists per 1,000 people – the fifth lowest in the UK.
It comes as measures to tackle a backlog in dental care will be laid before Parliament next week, the Health Secretary has said.
Cheryl Roe, deputy leader of Rochford Council, said: “Nobody can get an NHS dentist appointment and I had to go private to get my daughter an NHS place.
“I think the whole situation is just ludicrous and to find out we are one of the worse is even more scary.
“I think it’s ridiculous and there will be lots of people who don’t drive and have to travel some distance on public transport to see a dentist.”
She added: “I think the whole system needs to be scrutinised, I’ve tried to get appointments for others in the past and had great difficulty in doing so.
“I think it’s very disappointing and I think dentists prefer to work privately, but there should be rules about them doing more NHS work too.
“Not everyone can afford the higher prices for private work as it’s expensive.”
The senior councillor’s calls for checks on the system come after Health Secretary Therese Coffey told the Conservative Party conference that ministers will aim to tackle “dental deserts” with regulatory reforms set to be unveiled next week.
Paul Downes, chairman of the Noak Bridge Residents Association, said: “Obviously it’s a big issue and I feel so sorry for people who cannot get appointments or afford to pay for private dentistry.
“It’s a matter of infrastructure and I think it’s going to get much worse.
“I know people have had problems getting appointment.
“There are far too many people for far too few dentist services.”
The new analysis of data, collected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and published as a rate per 1,000 residents on the LGA’s data platform, shows no local authority area in the country has more than one dentist providing NHS treatment per 1,000 people.
Previous research has shown that children in deprived communities have poorer dental health than those in richer places. Across local authorities in England, there is large variation, the LGA said, ranging from seven per cent to 51 per cent of five-year-olds having tooth decay.
The Commons has previously heard that people across the UK have resorted to DIY dentistry as they have been unable to get NHS care for their teeth.
In a debate in June, shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said one man had even shared testimony of trying to pull his own teeth out with a pair of pliers, but “they kept slipping off and it was agony”.
Speaking during the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Ms Coffey said: “It is frankly bonkers that we have restrictions on the recognition of doctors, dentists and nurses within the UK itself.
“That is why I am laying regulations next week which will allow the General Dental Council to get on with accrediting dentists to work right across our United Kingdom, so we can have oases of oral care, rather than dental deserts.”
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