The horrifying reality of trying to get an NHS dentist: ‘Hundreds’ queued for three hours outside a newly opened practice, including a disabled cancer patient ‘who had no choice’ but to be left out in the cold

Hundreds of people queued outside a newly opened NHS dental practice today, in scenes that illustrate the crisis facing millions of Britons desperate for a check-up.

One person waiting in the three-hour queue in Bristol’s St Paul’s area was a disabled cancer patient who ‘had no choice’ but to brave the cold.

Another, a nearly 80-year-old caregiver who chose to sit on the sidewalk while waiting, said it was unacceptable to have to queue to go to the dentist in the middle of winter.

A local newspaper likened the winding line as “reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe.”

Queues for basic goods and services, such as food, were an infamous part of daily life in the former Soviet Union.

Local media called the winding line “reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe.”

A woman called Maria told BristolLive she had been there since 8.30am this morning and was hoping to secure a spot

NHS dentistry has been in crisis for years, with leaders claiming the sector is chronically underfunded, making it financially unviable to provide treatments.

The problem is made worse by the fact that as more dentists leave the NHS, those that remain are swamped by more and more patients.

Patients have been told they have to queue from 4am to get a spot at practices that have opened their lists to NHS patients – a phenomenon experts say is becoming the ‘new normal’.

Some have even resorted to do-it-yourself dentistry, using pliers to remove decaying or painful teeth at home.

Private clinics can charge up to £75 for an appointment, with fillings, cleanings and x-rays incurring additional costs.

The recently opened clinic in Bristol, called Saint Pauls Dental Practice, has replaced a former Bupa Dental Care site.

The old dental practice would have to close its doors due to staff shortages and rising inflation.

A woman named Maria told it BristolLive she had been there since 8:30 this morning and is hoping to secure a spot.

She said she was no longer able to see a dentist after the previous Bupa location closed in June last year.

Maria added that she found it unacceptable that members of the public were now having to queue in the hope of securing an NHS place for dental patients, some of whom have serious health conditions.

‘One of my neighbors is having cancer surgery tomorrow. She must be in line somewhere,” she said.

‘She is also disabled and cannot stand for very long, but she has had no choice but to stand.’

Those queuing outside the new dental clinic are not the only ones struggling to access affordable dental care in Britain.

An official survey recently found that a quarter of adults have postponed dental care or treatment because of the cost.

One in three also say the cost of dentistry affects the type of care or treatment they receive, while a quarter fail to brush their teeth at least twice a day.

Data for the South West of England, the region where Bristol is located, showed one of the lowest proportions of people who had seen an NHS dentist in the past two years, at just 39.6 per cent.

The findings follow a damning report from the Nuffield Trust, which warned that NHS dentistry is ‘gone for good’ and must be rationed for those most in need.

The newly opened clinic in Bristol, called Saint Pauls Dental Practice, has replaced a former Bupa Dental Care site which closed last year due to staff costs and rising inflation

One in three also say the cost of dentistry affects the type of care or treatment they receive, while a quarter fail to brush their teeth at least twice a day. The poll included 6,343 responses from 4,429 households in England and was commissioned by the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The latest figures show that just 43 per cent of over-18s were seen by a dentist in the 24 months to June this year, compared to more than half in the same period before the pandemic hit

Even children struggle to get the dental care they need.

Only a limited number of people are entitled to free dental care from the NHS. These include children, pregnant women and new mothers, and people on low incomes.

Even those who pay for NHS dentistry face significantly lower costs for treatment and care as it is subsidized by the government.