i've extracted 13 of my own teeth. danielle, a busy working single mum needs help. terrible gum disease is wrecking her teeth. as her gums recede, teeth that were perfectly healthy start to become wobbly. there is excruciating nerve pain, abscesses and a risk of infection. eventually the teeth becomes so loose, danielle can just pull them out. more than a dozen teeth she's pulled out herself. so those are, those are big teeth. big teeth, yes. and you can see there's no sort of decayed on the teeth. it's not like you have fillings or decay in the teeth themselves. no, my teeth are all relatively fine. it's all this mess is what is going on below the gum line. i'm 42 years old and i can't eat and i can't drink. and i'm on painkillers every day. i'm not a 90—year—old woman. this shouldn't be happening to me now. seven years ago, she did have a dentist. but then the dental surgery started to cancel appointments. just got a letter through the post saying we're closing. and that was it. there was no referrals anywhere else. there was nothing. so you've been left to get on with this on your own? yeah, on my own. on my own. there are no dentists. i'd love to be able to ring a dentist up and say, "my teeth are falling out. "i need help." but every time i do, it's like, "sorry, we're not taking on nhs patients any more." and i, like a lot of other people, cannot afford to go and get this treatment done privately. so physically, it sounds like it's really challenging with lots of sort of physical pain. yeah. what's the, what's the mental impact being on you, on your mental health, do you think? i won't go out and meet new people. i avoid crowded situations. i walk with my head down a lot of the time. at work, if somebody�*s standing there having a conversation with me and they make me laugh, i hang my head when i'm laughing because ijust, i just know what they're seeing in front of their face. you've got to show me how to turn this on again. don't squirt me, though. yeah. don't squirt me. got it? reckon that's enough? i fear that my children... not, not be ashamed of me. but my son's now becoming a teenager, and i want him to have his mates back. and i want him... and part of me sits there and thinks, i wonder if he doesn't because of how his mum looks. and that's a little bit heartbreaking because i want my kid to have a normal life. and i'm not saying my teeth ruin his life because he's a perfectly confident teenager, but there's always that worry in the back of your head how people view you. hi there. i was just wondering if you are registering any nhs patients at the moment. to see how many others might be affected by the same issues around accessing nhs dentistry, our team of researchers carried out one of the most comprehensive surveys of dental practices across the uk. nearly 6,900 surgeries were phoned and we asked them a number of questions... hiya, are you taking on new nhs patients? ..to build up a full picture of nhs provision... have you got a waiting list at all? five to six years. 0k. is that the same wait for children as well? it is, ok. ..to see which people and what areas were struggling the most to access care. ok, so if i registered privately, i'd be able to register my children on the nhs. we phoned nearly 100 dental practices across leeds that are thought to have a contract to provide nhs dental work. we couldn't find a single one that was willing or able to take on new adult patients. and this is one of those practices. phone rings: hello, boyd dental surgery. on reception, charlotte is fielding calls from those trying to find an nhs dentist. we're not. we're not accepting children or adults, unfortunately. - how do people respond when you say you can't take on any more patients? some people are understanding. and then there's other people - who obviously get really frustrated and can put the phone down on you or be really aggressive to why _ you're not taking on patients. and it is frustrating for them. i do understand that. if you want to put yourself in the chair, that'd be great. right? so what's the problem? i have broken my denture. 0k, fine. it is, excuse me, super glued. sure. but i want a new one. and for ian boyd, the dentist who owns the practice, it's equally frustrating and dispiriting. so at this moment, are you able to take on new nhs patients to your practice? and if not, why not? no, i'm absolutely, completely full and i've been a dentist 32 years. the first 16 years of my career, this was never an issue. we never turned patients away. there was never a shortage of nhs dentists. and then in 2006 the government brought in a new contract, effectively capping the nhs budget of all dental practices. once they did that, this problem started the because dental prices can't expand their nhs services the government wants is to take —— wants us to take on new patients... but how can we take on new patients if we're going to end up having to, we can't get the funding to take on these patients and it's really not a good situation to be in. it's the first time in a long, long time in my in my professional career that i've ever had to turn people away. so what do you say to them when people come to you say, look, i really need a dentist, can you help? that's great. we literally get 20 to 30 phone calls a day and we're just turning them away. we don't have a waiting list. it's a waste of time having a waiting list, because if we have a waiting list, we don't know when we're going to start taking patients on. from a patient�*s point of view, we say, look, we're really sorry. we don't know where you can find a dentist. leeds has a severe problem. i'm sure there are other areas. in fact, as far as i'm aware, everywhere in england has a real problem and it really is a very, very sad situation. i rung here literally begged. yeah. 15—year—old alfie may not feel lucky as he waits to be seen, but his mum did manage to get him on the books as an nhs patient. i literally rung every day in leeds but couldn't get one. —— every dentist in leeds... but these put him on a waiting list for. well, i think we've been waiting about three months to get him dental what am i meant to do? so i'll make a little noise, i'll show you the noise. so this is the little noise like that, and it's based on water like that. and emma has a little vacuum cleaner that just sucks up all the water like that. is that ok there? yeah. had alfie not managed to get the treatment he needs, the consequences could have been grim. what are the implications of a young man like that who could potentially lose those two front teeth? devastating. the access issue is a real problem. and really, that's the thing needs solving for the long term, not the short term. it's no good for people like alfie throwing a very short amount of money for a very short period of time. we need dentists who can not only solve the problem of alfie, we need dentists who can then see alfie on a regular basis, give them preventative advice, give them regular checkups, and then hopefully in the future, see alfie, his family, his kids, and basically produce what i've done for the last 32 years, which is really have a family dental practice. we phoned every dental practice in the uk that was thought to have an nhs contract. that ended up being nearly 6,900 practices. of those we managed to contact, 90% said they were no longer taking on any new adult patients. only a quarter of those dental practices said they operated a waiting list to become an nhs patient and for most of those the wait was at least a year or more. i make my own dentures at home every week. some people are being forced to go to extraordinary lengths practising a form of diy dentistry because they can't access the help they need. years ago, caroline had crowns fitted a dental cap that covers damaged teeth, but they've gradually all fallen off. now she can't find an nhs dentist who can refit them, so she's taking matters into her own hands. i make my own fake dentures, if you like, out of plastic. i measure them out, it's a very unscientific measurement. but i kind of gauge about roughly. it looks about right. and now. yeah. they're good to go. this is not pretty. horrible, isn't it? fit it �*round my gum... and then... hopefully. squeeze it into place and hope it fits. and it will look better than nothing. much better than not having any. just double check it all fits in place. oh, it's not too bad. now, noodle. home done. cosmetic dentistry. dentists warn this is a dangerous procedure. the fake dentures are a potential choking hazard and can trap food that makes tooth decay worse. but in desperation before this, caroline has tried other extreme methods. i'v e i've done a super trick for a while. it rots your gun as well. put it in as quick as you cal and hope your fingers danced took to heart and it burns your gun. it's not ideal and i got abscesses and i couldn't fit them in any more. but couldn't get anyone to fit them properly so gradually they just fill out one by one and a bit of tooth underneath disappeared. i saw someone totally randomly someday who said, one of these online things and it said you can disguise bad teeth with this. it's worth a try. so at first it was only one cap missing so i did that one and that worked. is that what i want to do, i'd rather have teeth but is better than going out... it means i can smile at people a little bit from a distance and not look too freaky. ratherthan bit from a distance and not look too freaky. rather than smile at people and go, all, i hope, ithink. every week caroline calls around 30 dentists in her area just to see if any are taking on new patients. so far, she's had no luck. our research also addressed the issue of dental care for children. we found that 80% of the dental practices we contacted, four out of five in the uk were no longer willing or able to accept children under 16 as patients. and in more than one in ten local authority areas in the uk, we couldn't find a single practice that would accept a child. my son doesn't smile any more. how was school? good. children are meant to get free nhs dental care. but if you can't find an nhs dentist to start with, how does that work? let's go inside. 0k. this man puzzling older son developed a problem with his teeth. i am worried that they will not go away— i am worried that they will not go away and — i am worried that they will not go away and kids_ i am worried that they will not go away and kids make _ i am worried that they will not go away and kids make fun- i am worried that they will not go away and kids make fun of- i am worried that they will not go away and kids make fun of it. - i am worried that they will not go| away and kids make fun of it. the dau~hter away and kids make fun of it. the daughter is _ away and kids make fun of it. the daughter is a _ away and kids make fun of it. daughter is a painful away and kids make fun of it. tip; daughter is a painful cavity. away and kids make fun of it. daughter is a painful cavity. but away and kids make fun of it.- daughter is a painful cavity. but i cannot find anyone to help. last earl cannot find anyone to help. last year i nursed — cannot find anyone to help. last year i nursed my _ cannot find anyone to help. last year i nursed my elder- cannot find anyone to help. last year i nursed my elder son, he is growing — year i nursed my elder son, he is growing some extra teeth on top of his teeth. _ growing some extra teeth on top of his teeth, you know. i thought i would _ his teeth, you know. i thought i would speak with a dentist. i rang them _ would speak with a dentist. i rang them and — would speak with a dentist. i rang them and said you can't come because he didn't— them and said you can't come because he didn't pay— them and said you can't come because he didn't pay any visit for the last two years — he didn't pay any visit for the last two years. even for the children? even _ two years. even for the children? even for— two years. even for the children? even for my— two years. even for the children? even for my children. i told them that is_ even for my children. i told them that is not— even for my children. i told them that is not for me is for my ten year— that is not for me is for my ten year son— that is not for me is for my ten year son and they said that my whole family— year son and they said that my whole family had _ year son and they said that my whole family had been removed because for the last— family had been removed because for the last two years you didn't pay any visit — the last two years you didn't pay any visit over the last two years. the last— any visit over the last two years. the last two years we have had a pandemic. the last two years we have had a pandemic— the last two years we have had a andemic. , ., . . pandemic. yes, i told him we had a pandemic. — pandemic. yes, i told him we had a pandemic. but _ pandemic. yes, i told him we had a pandemic, but she _ pandemic. yes, i told him we had a pandemic, but she said _ pandemic. yes, i told him we had a pandemic, but she said it _ pandemic. yes, i told him we had a pandemic, but she said it doesn't i pandemic, but she said it doesn't matter. _ pandemic, but she said it doesn't matter. we — pandemic, but she said it doesn't matter, we managed to see people in the pandemic. it doesn't matter what it was— the pandemic. it doesn't matter what it was the _ the pandemic. it doesn't matter what it was the pandemic or not. it's a policy— it was the pandemic or not. it's a policy that— it was the pandemic or not. it's a policy that if you're not here in two years _ policy that if you're not here in two years time we remove and take new patients. two years time we remove and take new patients-— new patients. these two teeth are urrowin. i new patients. these two teeth are growing- idon't— new patients. these two teeth are growing. i don't know _ new patients. these two teeth are growing. i don't know how- new patients. these two teeth are growing. i don't know how and - new patients. these two teeth are i growing. i don't know how and they, they took— growing. i don't know how and they, they look where'd _ growing. i don't know how and they, they look where'd and _ growing. i don't know how and they, they look where'd and they - growing. i don't know how and they, they look where'd and they hurt - growing. i don't know how and they, i they look where'd and they hurt when i they look where'd and they hurt when i brush _ they look where'd and they hurt when thrush thern — they look where'd and they hurt when i brush them. he _ they look where'd and they hurt when i brush them-— i brush them. he doesn't smile with an 0 en i brush them. he doesn't smile with an open mouth _ i brush them. he doesn't smile with an open mouth because _ i brush them. he doesn't smile with an open mouth because of- i brush them. he doesn't smile with an open mouth because of these - i brush them. he doesn't smile with i an open mouth because of these teeth communat _ an open mouth because of these teeth communal. and then my daughter, she is 80 years— communal. and then my daughter, she is 80 years old. she has started to complain _ is 80 years old. she has started to complain about having pain in her teeth— complain about having pain in her teeth and — complain about having pain in her teeth and there is a little hole in her teeth — teeth and there is a little hole in her teeth. ~ , , , ., her teeth. when i brush my teeth or eat something _ her teeth. when i brush my teeth or eat something or— her teeth. when i brush my teeth or eat something or get _ her teeth. when i brush my teeth or eat something or get some - her teeth. when i brush my teeth or| eat something or get some kolasinac it really hurts my teeth. 50 eat something or get some kolasinac it really hurts my teeth.— it really hurts my teeth. so your son is uncomfortable _ it really hurts my teeth. so your son is uncomfortable about - it really hurts my teeth. so your son is uncomfortable about howj it really hurts my teeth. so your i son is uncomfortable about how his teeth look and your daughter is in pain. teeth look and your daughter is in ain. ., teeth look and your daughter is in ain, ., , �* , teeth look and your daughter is in ain. . ~ pain. yeah, she's in pain. and even we can see — pain. yeah, she's in pain. and even we can see the _ pain. yeah, she's in pain. and even we can see the hole _ pain. yeah, she's in pain. and even we can see the hole in _ pain. yeah, she's in pain. and even we can see the hole in her- pain. yeah, she's in pain. and even we can see the hole in her teeth. i we can see the hole in her teeth. that— we can see the hole in her teeth. that must— we can see the hole in her teeth. that must be quite hard as a parent. it is, you know, and i'm scared because — it is, you know, and i'm scared because of— it is, you know, and i'm scared because of the pain goes worse what am i because of the pain goes worse what am i going _ because of the pain goes worse what am i going to do? because of the pain goes worse what am i going to do?— am i going to do? families like his and dentist — am i going to do? families like his and dentist who _ am i going to do? families like his and dentist who will _ am i going to do? families like his and dentist who will not _ am i going to do? families like his and dentist who will not be - am i going to do? families like his and dentist who will not be seen i am i going to do? families like hisj and dentist who will not be seen is not unusual. dental seem to be abandoning the nhs.— not unusual. dental seem to be abandoning the nhs. definitely a aood one abandoning the nhs. definitely a good one for— abandoning the nhs. definitely a good one for the _ abandoning the nhs. definitely a good one for the tooth _ abandoning the nhs. definitely a good one for the tooth fairy, - abandoning the nhs. definitely a| good one for the tooth fairy, this. here you go. big old tooth that one. in the school of dentistry at newcastle university patients are waiting in an emergency clinic. michelle davies, please. hi, michelle. nice to meet you, i'm bryony. — michelle. nice to meet you, i'm bryony, one of the dentists. where justin _ bryony, one of the dentists. where justin number two. will bryony, one of the dentists. where justin number two.— justin number two. will you come with me? thank— justin number two. will you come with me? thank you. _ justin number two. will you come with me? thank you. we - justin number two. will you come with me? thank you. we spent i justin number two. will you come | with me? thank you. we spent 48 hours here — with me? thank you. we spent 48 hours here meeting _ with me? thank you. we spent 48 hours here meeting those - with me? thank you. we spent 48 hours here meeting those seeking j hours here meeting those seeking help with toothache and damage teeth. �* , ., . , . teeth. i'm 'ust on tap some tea behind teeth. i'm just on tap some tea behind that's _ teeth. i'm just on tap some tea behind that's ok. _ teeth. i'm just on tap some tea behind that's ok. that - teeth. i'm just on tap some tea behind that's ok. that one? i teeth. i'm just on tap some tea l behind that's ok. that one? no. teeth. i'm just on tap some tea - behind that's ok. that one? no. yes. i'm not behind that's ok. that one? no. yes. i'm not going — behind that's ok. that one? no. yes. i'm not going to _ behind that's ok. that one? no. yes. i'm not going to do — behind that's ok. that one? no. yes. i'm not going to do that _ behind that's ok. that one? no. yes. i'm not going to do that again - i'm not going to do that again because — i'm not going to do that again because another was painful. can you no in and because another was painful. can you go in and suppor