A Nottingham-based inventor is tackling the problem of long waiting lists for NHS dentists in the East Midlands.
Jeevan Boyal made headlines five years ago when he launched the EZ Teether – the world’s first ever teething device for adults. The teether was aimed at teenagers and young adults struggling with painful wisdom teeth – an idea Jeevan came up with while suffering his own wisdom teeth problems while studying dentistry at Sheffield University.
Now a fully qualified dentist with surgeries in Derby and Nottingham he has come up with a new idea to help cut waiting times and at the same time make private dental care much more affordable
Jeevan has launched a web app, AP Care, (Affordable Private) which allows anyone to save 20% on the cost of private dental treatment as well as reducing the need to wait for much-needed procedures. With nearly half of dentists severing their ties with the NHS and focusing on private patients only and three-quarters planning to reduce their NHS services, millions are struggling to access care. It is unclear when the problems facing patients seeking NHS dental treatment will be resolved and if left unchecked, millions more patients will be left without options.
Since the first lockdown began in March 2020 around 3,000 dentists have moved away from NHS work meaning there aren’t enough NHS dentists to see patients. The new AP Care, web app allows anyone to book private dental care for both cosmetic and essential procedures with potential savings ranging from £50 on a single tooth extraction to thousands of pounds on a major procedure such as full implants.
Of the 8,533 UK dental practices that hold NHS contracts, 91% aren’t accepting new adult patients, rising to 97% in the East Midlands, leaving new patients with little chance of being seen by an NHS dentist.
Dentist Jeevan Boyal, Director of AP Care:
“The lack of NHS dentists has led to a huge rise in desperate patients struggling to access affordable dental care. AP stands for affordable private, and by making private dental care more affordable we are hoping to ease some of the pressure on the NHS and make private dentistry accessible and convenient for a greater number of people.
“Having lost my mother as a teenager I want to ensure that no one is at the mercy of long waiting lists for any form of healthcare. Starting with dentistry, AP Care aims to improve access to affordable private dental care.”
