One in 10 Britons Fixed Their Own Teeth, Including Pulling Them
About 6 million people were stuck in line for care as basic services slipped out of reach.
Noahpinion · The UK is a cautionary tale for the U.S.One in 10 Britons tried to fix their teeth themselves, with a few even yanking a tooth or reattaching a broken crown on their own.
The figure comes from a 2023 survey. At the time the National Health Service, the state-run system that provides most medical care free, struggled to offer basic appointments.
Writing in The Atlantic, Idrees Kahloon reported that many Britons could not find NHS dental care and could not pay for private treatment. He described an NHS waiting list of about 6 million patients seeking treatment, "almost a tenth of the population."
The NHS paid out more to settle maternity-malpractice claims than it spent providing maternity care.
Questions people ask
Why couldn't Britons just see a dentist?
Most dental care for adults in Britain is split between public clinics with capped fees and private practices that charge market prices. By 2023, many public dentists had stopped taking new patients or had months-long waits, while private care was too expensive for lower-income families. That gap left many people with no workable option.
Is pulling your own tooth dangerous?
Yes. Dentists warn that it can cause heavy bleeding, infection, and damage to nerves, gums, and neighboring teeth. Gluing a crown back on at home can also trap bacteria underneath and turn a fixable problem into tooth loss. Emergency rooms and dentists generally urge people to seek professional care even for severe pain.
Is British health care really free?
Mostly. The National Health Service is funded through taxes and provides doctor visits, hospital care, and emergency treatment free at the point of use. Dentistry is an exception, with most adults paying fixed, subsidized charges, and prescriptions, eye tests, and some services also carry fees or exemptions.