A woman who resorted to pulling out 12 of her own teeth with pliers says the government has failed to deal with a crisis in NHS dentistry.
Caroline Pursey, 63, from Scunthorpe, removed her teeth because of insufferable pain after being unable to secure an appointment.
"I’ve been told I can’t be accepted, or there’s a three year waiting list," she said.
"You can’t believe what it feels like not being able to smile anymore. It’s ruining my face."
Ms Pursey developed a dental problem while in hospital for an unrelated issue, but was unable to establish the cause.
She said her previous NHS dentist "went private" and she contacted a list of other health service dentists in the area without success.
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