Coronavirus lockdown prompts woman to attempt to pull out own tooth
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
A United Kingdom woman took matters into her own hands and tried to extract her own tooth after she could not get a dentist appointment due to coronavirus lockdowns in the country.
Earlier this month, Fay Rayward, 41, of Telford, woke up “in agony” to find that a filling in one of her teeth had come out, “exposing the nerve in her lower molar which was split in half,” according to South West News Service.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fay Rayward with the pliers that she tried to use to remove her tooth at her home. (SWNS)
"The pain for me was worse than childbirth. I have never experienced pain like it, it was searing through the side of my face,” she told the outlet.
She attempted to call her local dentist but was reportedly unable to get an appointment due to lockdown restrictions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It was just awful. I’d posted an appeal on Facebook begging for help and advice after I was unable to get a dental appointment.
Fay Rayward attempting to pull her tooth out on her Facebook video. (SWNS)
“I realized that the only way would be to pull out my own tooth. It was agonizing and I only managed to make it wobbly before I had to stop.”
The woman took a pair of pliers to her molar in an attempt to take the tooth out herself. She was unsuccessful and the ordeal led her to finally receive an emergency appointment at an urgent dental clinic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“When I finally got an emergency appointment I was in and out in ten minutes,” she recalled. “After they extracted my tooth the relief was immediate.”
Fay Rayward claims she could not get a dental appointment. (SWNS)
“The tooth had split right up to the top and was still attached to the gum.”
“If I’d pulled it out myself I would have only released half of it and would have been in a worse situation,” she added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The news comes after a 33-year-old British father with dental woes also took matters into his own hands, successfully pulling out an infected tooth with a pair of pillars in April.
Dental offices in Britain have been advised to close amid the pandemic, with the British Dental Association (BDA), citing guidance from the country’s National Health Service (NHS), urging dentists to cancel all “routine, non-urgent dental care” at this time.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mick Armstrong, the chairman of the BDA, warned that it’s “inevitable” that some patients will take to do-it-yourself (DIY) dentistry as the lockdown continues.
"Whenever access problems emerge, people with [a] toothache take matters into their own hands,” he previously told SWNS. "It’s inevitable [that] many desperate patients will resort to 'DIY dentistry' unless we see rapid action from the government."
In the U.S., the ADA has warned against treating any dental problems without first consulting a dentist. “Before you start any DIY dental treatment, it’s important to speak with your dentist about the potential risks and benefits,” it states.