‘Dental care is healthcare’ – these are the words of a man who almost lost his life to sepsis after struggling to get a dental appointment.
Nick Whelan was forced to undergo life-saving surgery after he was admitted to Ninewells Hospital with septicaemia in 2021. The 22-year-old said he had been struggling to get a dentist appointment after his toothache began at the end of the first lockdown in September 2020.
In a 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. It 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.’
“Dental care is health care.”
Nick had a dental infection.
Unable to get an appointment, he ended up in intensive care.
Dentistry isn’t a ‘nice to have’.
We can’t afford to go on like this.
A message for every patient, every politician & policymaker this #WorldOralHealthDay. pic.twitter.com/gLct4URNvH
— BDA (@TheBDA) March 20, 2025
The reality of UK dentistry
The British Dental Association (BDA) has responded to the message, echoing the calls for government action.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: ‘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.’
Last week, care minister Stephen Kinnock updated the dental profession on progress in the area of contract reform.
He acknowledged the need for change, adding that the government wants to work with the dental profession for the ‘best possible outcomes’.
‘I want us to work together to ensure that we reform the contract so that every penny is used to drive efficiency, productivity and the best possible outcomes,’ he said.
In recent weeks, the government has introduced a number of NHS dental changes, including a supervised toothbrushing scheme for children and 700,000 additional emergency dental appointments.
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