ONE in five people in Wales who failed to get an NHS dentist appointment in the past year have turned to DIY dentistry, a new poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The poll also revealed that more than a fifth of Welsh people (22 per cent) tried to get a local NHS dentist appointment in the last year but couldn’t get one.

Mid Wales has been previously described as a “desert” for NHS dentists, with the lack of availability of appointments being labelled a “scandal”.

It was revealed earlier this year that Hywel Dda Health Board could be facing a “dentist shortage crisis” as 21 per cent of its dentists approach retirement.

Last year a poll by the Faculty of Dental Surgeons found 19 per cent of dentists believed it will take more than two years to get through the volume of dental patients waiting for treatment.

The new poll shows that amongst those who said they have tried but couldn’t get an NHS dentist appointment in their local area in the last 12 months, three in 10 (31 per cent) say they have stopped attempting to get an NHS dental appointment altogether as a result.

Around a quarter say they have instead paid for private dental treatment (27 per cent) or delayed seeing a dentist despite suffering with pain (26 per cent).

The figures come after Welsh Government figures show that between 2020-21, there were 1,389 dentists with NHS activity recorded in Wales.

This is a decrease of 5.6 per cent from 2019-20 - a loss of 83 dentists.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “It is now or never to save our NHS from a winter of crisis that will put patients at risk.

“This heartbreaking rise in DIY dentistry is further evidence that this Government simply doesn’t care about our vital local health services.

“It is a national scandal that people are forced to pull their own teeth out because our public health services have been starved of funding.

“Years of failure and mismanagement by Welsh Labour is taking its toll.

“It’s no wonder there are big problems when the British Dental Association (BDA) has stated that Labour’s plans are not serving the population’s oral health needs.

“Toothcare should not just be for those who can afford to pay privately but sadly we are seeing a real divide between those who can afford to go private and those who can’t.

“Everyone should be able to rely on swift and reliable dental care close to home. The Welsh Government must recruit more staff and boost rates paid for NHS procedures.

“I would also urge the Welsh Government to consider increasing the availability of dental therapists and nurses as well as allowing dental therapists to do more to address the backlog.”