Thousands of patients are no longer receiving care due to a shortage of NHS dentists in the western world.
At the end of June, the local dental office in one Bristol neighborhood is scheduled to shut down, leaving more than 7,000 people looking for alternatives.
Campaigners have vowed to demonstrate outside the St. Paul's Bupa Dental Health Care office every week in an effort to stop the practice's closure.
According to the government, hundreds of new dentists have just been hired.
Some patients at the St. Paul's practice claim they were informed there were no NHS dental offices in Bristol and that the closest ones were in Chippenham, Wiltshire, or Chepstow, which was on the other side of the River Severn.
Since 1995, Gaye Herford has served as the primary NHS dentist in St. Paul's.
When asked about working in the "diverse, wonderful, thriving and challenged community," she said it had been an honor. She is getting ready to relocate to Keynsham when her current job closes.
"Everyone present has an unquestionable right to ongoing, sustained, and reasonably priced NHS care.
People cannot simply visit a private dentist elsewhere, according to Dr. Herford, who claimed that there is no option to go private.
There are a lot of elderly, vulnerable, and low-income residents in the area, she said, and some patients have sobbed during appointments because they are unsure of what to do next.
She continued, "I can take as many patients as I can who can travel to Bupa in Keynsham, but thousands of patients won't be able to transfer because they don't have transportation or the money.".
To be completely honest, Dr. Herford continued, "I might as well be asking them to reach the other side of the moon.".
Ashley Ward, which includes St. Paul's, is represented by Bristol city councilor Amirah Cole. She called the practice's closure "devastating" and issued a warning that some people might start performing their own dentistry.
The public will begin performing their own treatments. They'll begin searching for solutions to problems like "I have a toothache" or "I have a hole in my tooth," she said.
According to Ms. Cole, "I've already heard from people who say they've pulled out their own teeth.".
Although a petition had nearly 900 signatures, Nicola Strange, a campaign group member opposing the closure of the St. Paul's practice, claimed that the issue went beyond her locality.
Since there are so few dentists in Bristol right now, she said, "this will affect tens of thousands of people.".
"Here and there, they've been quietly closing. Bristol residents must travel at least 50 miles if they want a dentist on the NHS. ".
She confessed that she is unsure of where she can find a dentist.
"I'm losing my dentist, so I don't just have to find a new one. My dentist for the past 20 years has been Gaye, and she is exceptional.
You'll hear this story from hundreds of people in this area, said Ms Strange, who continued, "She's extremely skilled and completely dedicated.".
The British Dental Association has informed the BBC that the annual funding of £3 billion for NHS dentistry is insufficient, but the government claims to have increased funding for patients with high needs.
According to the government, there are now 500 more dentists on the NHS.
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, which is in charge of managing local NHS dental care, stated: "NHS primary care dental teams are under significant pressure due to staff shortages, high demand, and a backlog to be addressed.
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