The severity of the lack of dental provision in the South Pembrokeshire area was highlighted this week by the alarming story of a local pensioner who was left in 'excruciating' pain with nowhere to turn to for treatment. The Observer was contacted on Monday by the woman - who has asked us to withhold her name - after she endured a weekend of trauma, which began when she started to suffer severe toothache on Saturday morning. But it was not until Monday that the 62-year-old grandmother received antibiotics for the 'considerable swelling' from her doctor, who she turned to as a last resort after being unable to find a dentist to treat her. Now, as a result of being left 'isolated' and 'appalled' at the lack of treatment, she has put in an official complaint to the Pembrokeshire Local Health Board. "Although I have been aware of the issues surrounding this service for sometime, the extent of the problem only became evident to me at the weekend when I found myself left without any help whatsoever," she told us. "My problem began on Saturday morning when I began to have severe toothache. I contacted my own Tenby-based dentist. The surgery was closed and an answerphone message informed me that it would re-open Monday. There was no telephone number given in order to contact in case of an emergency." She then rang a second local dentist in the hope that he would be able to see her in the absence of her own dentist. But once again, an answerphone message informed her that the surgery was closed until Monday. "By this point I was in a great amount of pain and in a very distressed state," she told us. "My daughter telephoned the NHS Direct helpline. After waiting 45 minutes for the call to be answered, she finally spoke with a lady who took the details. "She requested what I had actually done to contact my own dentist. My daughter explained that I had tried to contact both dentists in Tenby to no avail. The lady then took both telephone numbers and advised that she would ring herself and call my daughter back. "This she did within 15 minutes and advised that the information my daughter had given was correct - there was no information relating to out-of-hours contact. "My daughter was then advised that as I was a registered patient, albeit with a dentist who was unavailable, I was not eligible to visit the emergency surgery in Haverfordwest or Carmarthen. "My daughter asked what else she could do and was informed that basically, there was absolutely nothing that could be done. As a last resort she was advised to take me to A and E!" Over 48 hours after first suffering with toothache, the woman eventually managed to contact her own dentist, only to be informed by the receptionist that no appointment could be offered until today (Friday). "I found myself in a position where I had no option but to beg her to help me - either give me a number where I could try to get help or let me see my dentist before Friday," she added. "Her cold reply was that there was nothing she could do. Friday was my only option." The distraught pensioner then telephoned another local dentist and was told they could not help her in any way. In absolute desperation, she telephoned her doctor's surgery. "I advised the receptionist of my predicament and she told me to come straight down to see a doctor," she explained. "I was seen by my doctor who examined my mouth and told me that there was considerable swelling. He prescribed me antibiotics and stronger pain relief in the hope that this may ease my situation until Friday." The doctor advised the woman to immediately make an official complaint regarding her 'dire situation'. But the doctor informed the her she was not alone. "I apologised for taking up his valuable time and was horrified when he informed me that I was only one in a long line of dental patients that his surgery dealt with - people who were so desperately in pain and could not see a dentist, be it their own or otherwise," she said. "I feel desperately let down and isolated and am extremely appalled by the treatment I have received. I have been left in excruciating pain with nowhere to turn for help. It leaves me to question how and why this is allowed to happen. It appears that financial gain for these people who have trained to give dental care now wholly outweighs the wellbeing of their patients. "If I can prevent anybody ever finding themselves in this void of helplessness in the future by undertaking to fight this disgraceful scenario, then I will do all I can." The Observer contacted the Pembrokeshire Local Health Board about the matter, and a spokesman confirmed that they had received the letter of complaint. "Issues raised in the complaint will be looked at and we are grateful to the patient for bringing these concerns to our attention," the spokesman said. "We will be responding to the patient in the very near future."
