A woman extracted three of her own teeth - after waiting nearly seven years on an NHS dental waiting list.

Linda Colla, 76, moved from Nottingham to Ottery St Mary in Devon in 2018 and says she immediately started looking for a dentist.

But Linda says she quickly found that local practices were not accepting new NHS patients.

Linda, who receives pension credit, says she couldn't afford to seek private treatment .

And when three of her teeth became loose earlier this year, she was forced to take drastic measures.

She extracted two molars and one canine tooth herself in a "very painful" DIY procedure, after pain from the loose teeth was impacting her ability to eat.

"I didn’t have any other option," said Linda. "When I moved down here to the south west, that’s when the problems started.

"I started looking for an NHS dentist, and couldn’t find one, so I phoned the NHS and they put me on the list. 

"I’ve been here since April 2018, and I started looking for a dentist in June or July that year - and I’ve still not got one.

"Three teeth started to work loose, and it was not very comfortable. It was painful to eat, so I had to pull them out.

"They were getting looser and looser, so one at a time, I took them out. 

For more stories about the NHS and its services in the Sid Valley and Ottery St Mary, get your subscription to the Sidmouth Herald here

 

"It was two back teeth and a canine, and they had quite long roots. It was very painful - but I've apparently got a high pain tolerance."

Linda then had to pay £300 out of pocket for work on her dental plate in order to be able to eat again.

She says she would happily travel over 20 miles to see a dentist - but still has had no luck. 

Linda hopes to find a dentist to maintain her dentures - as she says a new set would cost around £1500 if she saw a private dentist.

Now, she is sharing her story to raise awareness of the dental crisis she believes is facing the south-west of England.

"I’ve been round local dentists, who have told me they can only take a certain amount of NHS patients due to funding, and they can’t take any more," she said.

"The south west is in dire straits.

"The NHS contacted me a couple of times and asked if I still want to be on the waiting list, and I said of course. 

"Six years later, as far as I know, I’m still on it."