A family's quest for dental care on the Isle of Wight
Katie, 45, and her husband live on the Isle of Wight with their two children.
Her youngest son, aged five, suffers from tooth enamel deficiency. Until this point, Katie's family has been fortunate enough to have access to NHS dental care, which has helped them to keep a close eye on his symptoms.
However, her NHS dental surgery is closing down, and even the private dentists on the island have waiting lists. Even if they're fortunate to find another NHS dentist on the mainland, they would have to go via ferry which can cost £80-£250 depending on the time of year.
As a result, Katie and her husband are worried about what this might mean for their son's dental care.
"Sometimes he's howling when we brush his teeth because the enamel is wearing away", Katie says. "For the most part, we're managing it now. We have to be careful, use pronamel toothpaste and make sure he doesn't eat anything that's too hot or cold."
However, Katie and her husband worry about what will happen when his new teeth grow in and what this means for his dental care in the future. Is this still going to be a problem, and what support will they have to keep an eye on it?
Katie and her husband haven't had to pay for private care yet, but they know they might have to look into this very soon. "Fortunately, we can probably afford to pay for private treatment," Katie explains. "But that money will have to come from somewhere."
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