Lack of urgent dental care hubs leaves patients at risk

Dr Luke Thorley, of Royal Wharf Dental, suggests the lockdown has sparked a dental crisis with patients left wanting when it comes to urgent care.

Speaking to The Mirror, he revealed that one dentist was asked by a father to talk him through removing his six-year-old son’s tooth with pliers.

The government has come under fire for not being quick enough to set up its urgent dental care hubs, leaving many patients suffering with tooth-related problems as practices were forced to close their doors in the lockdown.

Meanwhile, Luke Thorley is supporting a new group set up by Zaki Kanaan and colleagues called the British Association of Private Dentistry.

In a Facebook post, Zaki writes: ‘It's clear that private dentists have little to no representation in the UK. As a group we have been marginalised and let down by our governing bodies and are not represented in the same way our NHS colleagues are. This is a monumentally important time for everyone, including us all as professionals and business owners. Now is the time for us to get together, as an inclusive community, for the betterment of our profession and especially our patients, who have also been let down in all of this.’