A recent report on the state of NHS dentistry read like a medieval horror story with its tales of people pulling out their own teeth with pliers and filling cavities with Polyfilla.
The Dentistry Watch survey found patients were turning to often macabre self-treatment because they couldn't find or see an NHS dentitist in their area.
London has more NHS dentists than anywhere else in the country but a report published yesterday reveals that fewer people in the capital are visiting them.
Like the earlier national report, the London Assembly survey placed much of the blame for worsening dental health on the government's NHS reforms.
The contract for dentists in April 2006 was supposed to increase access and simplify the charges levied on NHS patients, but Londoners are more confused about the costs of care and whether they are eligibile for free care.
The report found the contract has discouraged many from seeing a dentist regularly and significantly increased the cost of some treatments. Furthermore, flaws in the contract and NHS funding meant that some dentists had to close their doors to new patients until the next financial year when more money became available.
Let us know if you've had problems accessing dental care.
