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Tens of thousands of patients have to wait 16 months for an NHS dentist.

Thousands are turning up at A&E in desperation to have painful teeth removed as the Tory funding crisis continues.

Dentists blamed lack of funding, with practices not paid to treat extra patients once quotas are filled.

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chairman of the British Dental Association, said: “The crisis in NHS dentistry is hitting communities from Cornwall to Cumbria. Underfunding and a failed contract have left dental practices without dentists, and patients are seeing the result.”

Devon and Cornwall have 48,000 people on waiting lists, with average waits of 477 days – up from 18,500 in 2016, councillors there claim.

The BDA says parts of Yorkshire and Merseyside are similarly hit.

(Image: Getty)

Cornwall independent councillor Loic Rich said: “Unless we want the whole thing to go private we must do something.”

Government contributions have fallen over £500million in real terms under the Tories since 2010, from £41.83 per head of population to £29.69.

A million people in pain were turned away last year, official figures show. The Department of Health said: “We are working closely with NHS England to improve access to dental services across the country.”