'I spent uni savings on getting my teeth fixed' - how NHS dentist shortage is costing a fortune
Key takeaways
- Nick Triggle Health correspondent Dominic Hughes/BBCDeacon Galloway paid nearly £800 for treatment at a private dental clinic Last summer Deacon Galloway was busy getting ready for university.
- He needed some dental work done and could not find an NHS dentist close to where he lived in North Yorkshire.
- Deacon, now 19, felt he had no choice but to go private.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Nick Triggle Health correspondent Dominic Hughes/BBCDeacon Galloway paid nearly £800 for treatment at a private dental clinic Last summer Deacon Galloway was busy getting ready for university. His grandparents had been putting money away to help him with the costs, but then he faced an unexpected bill.
He needed some dental work done and could not find an NHS dentist close to where he lived in North Yorkshire.
Deacon, now 19, felt he had no choice but to go private. It cost him nearly £800 - a third of the money his grandparents had saved up - for two fillings and two replacement fillings. On the NHS, he could have got this free because he was under 19 and in full-time education.