Some may quit NHS contracts over threats of fines, costs and paper work, dentists warn.
People who cannot get an NHS dentist or afford to see a private one are relying on emergency services, a committee foundNHS dentistry in Wales could disappear, the British Dental Association has warned.
Russell Gidney, chairman of the BDA's Welsh General Committee, said the targets were impossible to hit when new patients could take far longer to treat than existing patients who mostly needed check-ups, and that many patients were already only seen once a year. "We're really expecting to see a snowball effect of practices [quitting] as they deal with the repercussions of this year in six weeks' time.
She said trying to tell people who were used to six-monthly check-ups they would not be seen for a year was "stressful" and she feared health problems - including gum disease and tooth decay - were going unnoticed for months due to less regular routine appointments."We are constantly just playing catch-up."Morale is very low; we are all very tired and very stressed."
She has hereditary gum disease which requires her to be seen by a dental hygienist every three months in order to keep her teeth."I'm very conscious and because I know they've got worse over the year, I don't smile, I don't show my teeth at work, I don't laugh," she said.
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