Oldhamers say they are facing enormous difficulty accessing an NHS dentist with many forced to suffer in pain or fork out for eyewatering private treatment.

The availability of NHS dentists is a nationwide issue but people in Oldham claim there is a stark lack of accessible dental care in the borough with NHS waiting lists soaring as high as three years.

The NHS dentist finder reveals there are just 28 NHS dentists in Oldham, with a further five in Middleton, though only six appear to be taking on new patients - and mostly via an urgent referral.

READ MORE: Oldham faces 'dental timebomb' amid cost-of-living crisis and NHS shortage

Beth Slater is one such patient who has been desperately searching for a dentist in Oldham for the past few years and has even complained to NHS England about the problem.

Ms Slater said she has resorted to signing up to a dentist near her parents, 100 miles away, as a result.

"It isn't exactly convenient, but I've been on waiting lists with some places here for two to three years now and never had a callback", she added.

Another woman from Austerlands said she has an autoimmune disorder which causes tooth loss but has been unable to get into any local practices in the borough or nearby.

Melinda Hewitt said: "Each time I am in severe pain, I just have to phone the emergency number and they remove a tooth. What will happen when they're all gone? How do I get false ones?

"It's like the old days - perhaps I may inherit my mother's false teeth when she dies."

Another prevailing problem is patients being struck off the list after the pandemic with both Jules Kitch, from Hathershaw, and Karen Hall, from Shaw, claiming to have lost their NHS dentist recently.

Meanwhile, Margaret Beard, also from Shaw, said she has been unable to refit or repair her dentures since the pandemic and doesn't know if she's still an NHS patient.

The 78-year-old said: "I find it difficult to bite or chew food and I equate it to eating with toy teeth or a gum shield.

"I must use multi-tubes of fixative just to smile and prevent my teeth dropping."

But even those who are fortunate enough to receive NHS care say they have to wait weeks for an appointment, even in urgent cases.

Simon Heywood, from Failsworth, explained he lost a filling and was left with pain for more than two weeks until his appointment while Ruth White said she had to wait more than a month to have her wisdom tooth removed with the emergency dentist.

Mark Duncan claimed Oldham Integrated Care Centre even turned him away after his broken tooth didn't warrant an emergency appointment, leaving him to choose between private care or purchasing a DIY kit from the pharmacy.

Even children are falling through the cracks as one mother, Sarah Khan, said she can't find anywhere for her two-year-old.

The lack of NHS dentistry is forcing many to go private, but in the cost-of-living crisis, the option is unaffordable for most.

Lysha Pitman said her root canals have been quoted at £800 each.

"I can't afford it, so I just have to keep getting antibiotics and taking painkillers", she said.

Pensioner Barbara Kilgannon, from Waterhead, also said she couldn't find an NHS dentist to patch up her broken front teeth and had to fork out £850 for private care.

Nigel Molden said the problem boils down to a "broken" system.

"It's a total shambles.

"What happened to prevention is better than a cure? It looks like it will be emergency treatment for most due to overpriced private charges.

"It looks like we will be known as the generation of either bad or no teeth."

READ MORE: The full list of NHS dentists in Oldham, according to the NHS website

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership said access to NHS dentistry is a "challenge" since dental practices are largely "independent enterprises" that assess their own capacity to take on NHS patients.

The spokesperson said the partnership cannot assess the exact level of availability in any one location but added that "the intelligence we have tells us that the opportunities are more limited than we would like for both children and adults."

A group is being established to improve access to NHS dentistry for people across the region "as a matter of urgency".

The GM Integrated Care Partnership said dental support can be accessed via the Greater Manchester dental helpline (0333 332 3800) from 8am-10pm every day.