Patients across the UK are dipping into long term savings, including money set aside for university, just to afford basic dental treatment, according to the BBC.
The broadcaster's Your Voice series has been hearing from people who say the rising cost of private dentistry is leaving them with very few options. One contributor told the BBC they had used the cash they were saving for university to get their teeth fixed, because they could not find an NHS dentist willing to take them on.
The squeeze comes after years of warnings about a shortage of NHS dental places in England. Many practices have stopped accepting new NHS patients, leaving people who need a routine check up or urgent work to either pay privately or join long waiting lists that can stretch for months.
A private check up typically costs between £50 and £100, with fillings often £150 or more and crowns running into four figures. The top NHS band three charge in England is currently £326.70, which itself is a sum many households say they simply cannot find in one go.
Dentists have warned for some time that the current NHS contract makes it hard for practices to keep taking on health service work. The British Dental Association has repeatedly called on ministers to reform the system, arguing that the present setup is pushing patients into pain, debt or both.
Some people are putting off appointments altogether, while others travel abroad to countries such as Hungary and Turkey for cheaper treatment. Dental tourism carries its own risks, including difficulties with follow up care if something later goes wrong.
The Department of Health and Social Care has previously said it is working on a dental recovery plan and recruiting more NHS dentists into the areas with the greatest need. For many of those who have contacted the BBC, though, those promised changes still feel a long way off.
In the meantime, families are being left to weigh up whether to drain hard earned savings, take on credit card debt or simply wait and hope a small problem does not turn into a much bigger one.