Dorset man 'kept awake at night' by tooth pain - but still can't find a dentist

• Watch: Tom Maloney explain his frustration at being unable to see a dentist

A man living in Dorset who needs urgent dental treatment says he's got nowhere to go after being turned away from all the NHS practices he's tried.

Tom Maloney - who moved to Lyme Regis from Coventry two years ago - suffers from acid reflux which causes his teeth to erode, causing him severe pain.

He says he's not been able to see a dentist since moving to Dorset, and can't even get on a wait list as they are all full.

Tom says he's in so much pain that he's kept awake at night. He also can't chew his food properly which then causes more acid reflux, so he feels trapped in a vicious cycle. 

He runs a small business selling blinds which, despite going well, doesn't cover the cost of private dental treatment.

"It's very expensive to get what I need done", he said. "Either fixed dentures or implants is the only way forward. I'm in a lot of pain, I have to take medication daily and it's got me down, it's got me depressed."

He continued: "I hate to think there might be elderly people out there who are going through a similar thing but maybe don't have the same support network that I do."

Tom says he hopes by speaking out he will be able to raise awareness of the need for "affordable" dental treatment.

"I realise the NHS is under a lot of pressure, I just think it's down to the funding from the government and their policies", he said.

"They need to make it more accessible and more affordable for people like myself who are on a lower income and give us a chance to get ourselves sorted because this is no way to be living life."

He says he's contacted eight different dentists and been told there's no space on the waiting list at any of them.

He also had to go to the hospital after one of his teeth split and he suffered with an abscess. He was given antibiotics, but he says what he really needs is a dentist, rather than medication from doctors.

"My only option really is to save up and go private. I'll have no teeth left in my head by the time I'm able to do that", Tom added.

Clearing the backlog is something dental practises say they are currently struggling with.

Ian Mills, Partner at Torrington Dental Practice said it's a "crisis" facing both patients and the profession itself.

While Covid has had an impact on patients being seen, he said it's been a problem in the South West for years.

"It seems to have been exacerbated because we are losing dentists in the profession - they're leaving dentistry or the NHS and younger graduates don't see a long-term future within the NHS."

The issue of waiting lots for dental appointments was also brought up in Parliament by Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw. He said: "In many instances emergency appointments are not available for people asking for them.

"The waiting time in Exeter is currently two years to get an NHS dentist. We have thousands of people in Devon who don't have access to an NHS dentist, they can't afford to go private."

However today (25 January) the government has pledged to make a big investment in the industry. They announced a £50m cash injection nation-wide.

The South West is set to receive just under £5m of this funding.