A student who almost died because he couldn’t get a appointment has spoken out as new polling shows many are resorting to

Nick Whelan, now 22, had agonising toothache but struggled to get an appointment. Nick, from Dundee, was forced to take painkillers as the problem deteriorated for six months but was left with deadly blood poisoning. He was put into a coma as battled to save his life in 2021 and his devastated family were warned he might not pull through. Nick said: “Dentistry is not an optional extra. It is a vital part of our lives.

"Dental care is healthcare. Nobody should have to go through what I did, but I know until dentistry is taken seriously they will.”

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A shock survey by Ipsos has revealed a quarter of patients who failed to get an NHS appointment in recent years resorted to DIY dentistry such as yanking out their own teeth. It also found one in five were forced to fly abroad for dental treatment amid warnings that patients are "reaching for pliers or cheap flights".

The poll of 1,091 adults in Britain showed seven in ten who were unsuccessful in getting an NHS appointment eventually had to pay to go private. The has launched the Dentists for All campaign calling for a return to universal NHS access. We previously revealed that 96% of practices are not taking on new adult NHS patients.

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: "Desperate people are reaching for pliers or cheap flights because for many NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist. This service can have a future, but only if government is willing to pick up pace and keep its promises."

Nick had tried to schedule a dental appointment at the practice he was registered at for weeks but failed to secure one due to the delays. He also attempted to get in to see a GP but had to make do with phone consultations. The abscess on his tooth had led to blood poisoning which spread throughout his body and vital organs.

Nick has now made a video warning about the collapse in access to NHS dentistry with the British Dental Association. He insists if he could have initially got an NHS dental appointment “that would have been the end of it”.

In the video message, marking World Oral Health Day, Nick says: “I have a simple message for everyone out there across the UK and beyond. To every patient waiting in pain, to every politician and policymaker, and to every dentist worried about what might come through that door next - dental health matters.”

Eddie Crouch added: “Nick has offered a message that every health minister in every part of the UK needs to hear. The tone is very much ‘Horrible Histories’. The real scandal is this is the reality facing patients in a wealthy 21st century nation.”

has promised to reform a “flawed” NHS dental payment contract which has caused an exodus of dentists from the health service. However talks over reform cannot progress until the Treasury decides whether it can increase funding for NHS dentistry so practices don’t have to make a loss on some procedures.

The new Ipsos poll found 48% of participants had made an appointment with an NHS dentist in the last two years. Some 36% had not tried, while 18% said they could not get an appointment.

Among those who could not get an appointment 26% said they had treated themselves, while 19% said they went abroad for treatment. The poll showed 69% were eventually forced to pay for private care. Of those who had secured an appointment, 36% said they waited longer than they would have liked, while 13% were forced to travel outside their local area for care.

The poll found 74% of the 1,091 people questioned are either very concerned or fairly concerned about the current availability of dental care on the NHS. Half of those who responded were not confident they would be able to make a routine appointment with an NHS dentist, while 53% were not confident they would be able to receive emergency care from an NHS dentist if needed.

It comes in the week after . The Government announced this week fees for everything from check-ups to fillings will go up again, rising by 2.3% from next month.

NHS dental charges have now gone up by almost half in the last decade, well above inflation. Patients are being asked to pay an ever greater share of the overall NHS dentistry budget for England which has remained at around £3 billion for 15 years. This has meant a £1 billion real terms cut over this period due to inflation.

There are fears cash-strapped families will go without vital check-ups which will soon cost £27.40, up from £26.80, and store up more serious oral health problems. The new poll also found that 36% of respondents were not confident they could afford routine treatment with an NHS dentist.

A Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: "NHS dentistry is broken after years of neglect, forcing patients to resort to desperate measures. We're already rolling out 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments and preventing tooth decay in young children through supervised toothbrushing. But there is more to be done, and we will also reform the dental contract to increase provision through our Plan for Change."

Former miner David Creamer was left living on soup and rice pudding because he could not find an NHS dentist. The 62 year old was left agony for several months after losing four crowns and did not have the £5,400 he was quoted to get them fixed privately.

A three year old boy was also left suffering from a dental condition which caused crumbling, black teeth because of waits of at least a year to have them removed. Sid Hall, from Scarborough, North Yorks, has hypomineralisation - known as chalky teeth - and needed four removed. His mum Claire told the Mirror he is often in pain, struggles to eat and his language development has been stunted.