Dad who removed own tooth with pliers had 'no option' after failing to get dentist appointment
A dad who was forced to yank out a loose tooth with a pair of pliers after failing to get a dentist appointment has said he had no option.
Chris Langston, 50, from Oswestry, was left in excruciating pain for six months as he tried to arrange an NHS dentist appointment to resolve the issue.
His back molar had become loose, causing pain from eating, drinking and even talking.
Chris says that he couldn’t afford the £90 private fees for tooth removals and that the nearest emergency dentist was over 30 miles away.
Instead he grabbed his pliers and ripped the tooth out in the bathroom of his home.
He said: “I’d been trying to get an appointment for around six months but I couldn't get one.
"Private dentists wanted £40 for the check up and another £40 or £50 for the removal. It was £80 or £90 for the extraction privately, and I couldn't afford that.
“It was around six months ago that I felt it go loose. It gradually got worse, you sort of leave it.
"I’ve never had a major toothache. As it got looser it was really painful every time I spoke. I could hear it niggling.
