'I spent uni savings on getting my teeth fixed' - the real cost of NHS dentist shortage

'I spent uni savings on getting my teeth fixed' - the real cost of NHS dentist shortageImage source, Dominic Hughes/BBCImage caption, Deacon Galloway paid nearly £800 for treatment at a private dental clinicByNick TriggleHealth correspondentPublished12 June 2026Last 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, two replacement fillings and cleaning. On the NHS, he could have got this free because he was under 19 and in full-time education."It was really upsetting, but I had no choice," says the University of Manchester student. "I knew if I didn't get my teeth done they would get worse."Fees risingIt is a dilemma many are facing because of problems accessing NHS care.For years, we've reported on the issue, with some British towns known as 'dental deserts' - where there are simply no NHS dentists at all.Around a third of people getting dental treatment in the UK pay for it privately, according to the General Dental Council, external. But less than a fifth of those do it through choice.BBC Your Voice has been contacted by a number of people who felt they had no option but to turn to private dentists and describe dipping into savings and even taking out loans to get treatment. And this is happening as the cost of private dentistry is rising rapidly.A UK-wide analysis by MyTribe Insurance, external found the price of initial consultations had risen by 23% in two years to £80 on average, while simple extractions have gone up by 32% to £139. It also found a wide variation in root canal charges with prices in some places reaching £660 compare...