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'My son had an inhumane wait for dentist treatment, now he has had six teeth removed'

"It makes you feel angry - angry at the lack of services"

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Hayley Bramhall, from Macclesfield, said it was "devastating" to see her son Philip in agony(Image: Image: Steve Allen)

A mum whose seven-year-old autistic son had six teeth removed due to a dental abscess said they faced an "inhumane" wait for treatment.

Hayley Bramhall, from Macclesfield, said it was "devastating" to see her son Philip in agony. During the wait for "urgent" treatment for his abscess, the issue grew worse until he needed to have teeth taken out.

She said her non-verbal son has been holding his mouth and avoiding toothbrushing in a particular area since his surgery in July and she fears they might have to face another long and painful battle if he has another dental problem.

Speaking about him having six teeth removed, Hayley said: "Eating's become more challenging because of that. He's a lot more irate and upset. As a family and for me, it's traumatic. It's frustrating. It makes you feel angry - angry at the lack of services.

[An individual, clad in blue medical gloves, undergoing a dental examination. A dental instrument is positioned near the mouth, suggesting the process of dental treatment.]

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The study had shocking findings(Image: Getty Images)

"Frustrated at the fact that, for example, now I need to start the process again because I think he's got toothache. Although I don't know whether it's because he was in pain for four months, which is just inhumane in itself."

Hayley has since launched a petition on the Parliament website calling for a maximum 12-week wait for children with special educational needs requiring urgent dental care under sedation or general anaesthetic, The Mirror reports.

She said her son needs sedation and general anaesthetic just for check up, which can mean long waits that result in the problem getting worse.

"I think the pressure and the wait just for that is exceptional, never mind the wait for someone in extreme pain," she said. "It's devastating as a parent seeing him in pain all the time."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This government is fixing NHS dentistry after a decade of decline. We have improved access to urgent dental treatment by prioritising patients with the greatest need, and millions of additional courses of treatment have been delivered, including a significant amount for children.

But there is still more to do - especially to increase the dentistry workforce - and that is why were rolling out more dentistry school training places in areas which need them, and cutting red tape to allow qualified dentists to practise.

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