Almost a year's wait for most to get teeth pulled in Dumfries and Galloway

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Dumfries and Galloway NHS dental patients are being forced to wait almost 11 months for a tooth extraction.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said the figures released following a Scottish Labour Freedom of Information request, show the length of time people in pain in Dumfries and Galloway have had to endure waiting for teeth to be pulled has surged since 2019.

The wait for adults now stands at 43 weeks in the region – compared to 10 in 2019/20 – and for children, 42 weeks, compared to nine.

One of the longest adult waits in 2023/24 was 59 weeks – while one child had to wait a shocking 66 weeks.

Mr Smyth said: “Rotten teeth can cause excruciating pain but these figures show some people in our region are forced to wait for almost a year before getting the surgery they need.

“These statistics are completely shocking but sadly, no-one in our region will be remotely surprised that once again, people are forced to suffer while waiting for teeth to be removed.

“Being in pain every time you eat a meal or try to talk is agony for a few days, let alone months or years, but that is the reality for many.

“I am furious the Scottish Government have repeatedly failed to wake up to the growing dental crisis.”

The region’s dental crisis has been officially recognised as one of the worst in Scotland with Holyrood designating it “an SDAI area with poor dental access”.

No dentists in the region are taking on new NHS patients.

Around 36,000 people across the region aged over 18 have been left without an NHS dentist in the last two years.

Practices in Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Newton Stewart, Annan and Langholm have either closed or de-registered patients through a switch to private patients only.

Health bosses say they are working hard to ease the situation and were instrumental in getting the SDAI designation which is aiming to support NHS dental provision in key areas of Scotland where access to general dental services is low and there is evidence of unmet patient demand and/or high oral health needs.

As a result, NHS Dumfries and Galloway is now in a position to provide grant funding for applicants who are able to provide expanded NHS dental treatment. It has already helped fund Moffat Dental Practice to offer 2,000 spaces for new NHS dental patients – all of which were instantly snapped up.

And it is also providing 12 new places for dentists, as well as tutors and support staff at the Dumfries Dental Centre at Mountainhall.

Director of public health Valerie White said: “These undergraduate students are able to offer a single course of treatment to patients who are not currently registered with an NHS dentist, with treatment free of charge, and the waiting list for this is currently open and accepting new patients.

“However, while this is a very positive development, we know that this does not address the issue of providing people with regular, ongoing access to an NHS dentist.

“We continue work to encourage and support dentists to provide NHS general dental services and are working closely with Scottish Government colleagues on these matters.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Any long wait for surgery is highly regrettable.

“However it is important to note that the overwhelming majority of NHS dental care is delivered in a primary care setting.

“We are supporting NHS Boards to drive improvements in waiting times and are targeting resources to ensure people waiting the longest are treated as soon as possible.”

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