A MAN in excruciating pain pulled his own teeth out with pliers because he couldn’t see a dentist.
Ferdi, 51, took the hard decision to extract his own teeth because of a lack of NHS dentists in his area.
Richard Walker/MirrorpixFerdi was in such excruciating pain he pulled his own teeth out[/caption]
With no public dental professionals within a 25-mile radius of his home city of Wakefield, Yorkshire, he decided to take actions in to his own hands.
Over the course of a two-year-period Ferdi, a photographer, painstakingly extracted five of his own teeth.
Since then, he has since tried to seek private dental treatment to fix his mouth.
But he was stunned after he received a quote of £16,000, far more than he was able to afford.
Ferdi removed his first tooth himself after closures in the pandemic meant he couldn’t even see an emergency dentist.
And he extracted his first tooth using only a pair of ordinary household pliers.
Speaking to the Mirror, Ferdi said: “I grabbed hold of it and started to pull. Oh my God, the pain. The pain was just excruciating.
“It just went all across the side of my face is absolute agony. I thought, ‘just keep pulling. Keep pulling’.
“So I kept pulling and it was just agony. But then I could hear the bones cracking, and then it just came out.
“The relief from just having been in absolute agony, pulling it out, the relief was just phenomenal.
“And there’s blood everywhere. It was a mess. And I was like, ‘well, I hope I never have to do that again’.”
Unfortunately, Ferdi ended up doing it again not once but four more times.
His most recent extractions have left a large gap in the front of his mouth.
Ferdi is unable to afford treatment for dentures so has been forced to live with his DIY dentistry.
Although he is no longer in pain, the loss has made everyday activities such as eating very difficult.
And he says his mouth is now a “complete mess” and “not fit for purpose”.
‘NIGHTMARE’
Ferdi continued: “My teeth are staggered now. There’s not one tooth on top on top of another tooth, they’re kind of staggered. So I can’t chew on anything.
“I’m having to chew my food using my teeth, which obviously is not a good idea.
“I mean, your two front teeth are not designed for chewing, but that’s what I’m having do, and it’s just a nightmare.”
He’s still looking for a dentist to help him, but can’t find one within a 30-mile radius.
And there’s still no chance of going private as he can’t afford the five-figure fee.
Ferdi is not alone in his struggles as a shortage of NHS dentists has swept the nation.
Nine out of ten NHS dentists won’t accept new adult patients, meaning that most must pay for pricey private care.
Most dentists carry out private and NHS work but will only take on a set number of NHS patients.
Once the NHS list is full, they only offer private treatment.
British Dental Association Chair Eddie Crouch said: “DIY dentistry has no place in a wealthy, 21st-century nation, but today millions have no options, and some are taking matters into their own hands.
“These access problems are not inevitable. This horror show is the direct result of choices made in Westminster. We’ve heard promises of change, but any progress requires action on a decade of underfunding and failed contracts.”
Despite the shortages, those needing dental work, or even a regular check-up, should start by trying to find a dentist who will take them on as an NHS patient.
Some areas have more NHS availability than others, so persistence may pay off.