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Woman pulls out own tooth with pliers after calling 100 dentists
A woman resorted to extracting her own tooth using a pair of pliers as she failed to secure a dentist appointment, despite contacting over 100 clinics.
Tobye Spencer, 57, encountered dental health issues as a result of recurrent vomiting due to pancreatitis, leading to the loss of most of her teeth. In her quest to have a painful tooth removed and dentures fitted, she spent countless hours reaching out to over 100 private and NHS dental surgeries across the southern coast.
Given the full waiting lists at all practices, Tobye was left with no choice but to extract her own rotten tooth. She has been left with eight teeth and an urgent need for dentures, yet there's still no dental practice willing to accept her as a patient.
Tobye believes that the unavailability of any dentists willing to treat NHS patients stems from their inability to charge as much as they could for private treatment.
Opting for private treatment would set her back by up to £800, a sum she cannot afford. Besides her remaining real teeth, Tobye has a "bridge" including three artificial teeth that were placed during her stay in Spain in 2005 prior to falling ill.
Tobye, from Poole, Dorset, said: "It's not just vanity - my teeth are wobbly."
"It's not a nice feeling - it stops me eating certain things. I just want to have teeth and I don't think that's a big ask."
Tobye's symptoms, which included weight loss and frequent sickness, warranted her hospital admission after a year in 2018. Doctors were stunned to find that Tobye had developed severe pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, and she was promptly put on medication to manage the condition.
Her health took a dramatic turn for the worse when she was admitted to ICU for a week due to fluid in her lungs and an abscess, which left her bedridden and hospitalised from July to November 2018.
Tobye's condition led to extreme malnutrition, causing her weight to plummet to just 5 stone. She suffered two cardiac arrests and frequent vomiting, which resulted in the loss of most of her teeth.
After searching for a dentist since May 2021 and contacting over 100 dental practices within a 40-mile radius without success, Tobye resorted to pulling out her own molar with pliers in July 2023, without any anaesthetic.
Now on the mend, Tobye's self-esteem has taken a hit due to her dental issues. She expressed her frustration, saying: "It's the 21st century and I'm walking round with no teeth! " and "It was horrendous - I feel like I am living in the 18th century."
She explained the cause of her dental problems: "I had a really serious illness which is why my teeth fell out - it's not because I haven't looked after them."
The impact on her social life is significant, as she relayed advice from her therapist: "My therapist tells me I need to go out and see people - it's like a knock-on effect."
Despite her efforts, Tobye has been unable to secure a dentist appointment. "I have phoned over 100 dentists to try and get an appointment, in practices all across Dorset and even Southampton, but no one will accept me."
As part of her recovery, Tobye receives regular physiotherapy to regain strength and takes potent medication for her pancreatitis. However, she finds it absurd that dental care is not included in her treatment plan.
"I don't understand why your teeth aren't treated the same as the rest of your body," she commented.
Tobye has penned letters to the health ombudsman, and even her local MP, yet she's been informed she can only raise complaints about a specific practice.
"How can I complain about one - I haven't been able to get an appointment for over 100! " she exclaimed. "I just want to have new teeth and be able to feel confident again."
"It's been an awful time."
