Dentists at a Highland practice have directed patients online to source temporary DIY fillings amidst lockdown treatment restrictions.
Strict Government rules mean surgeries can do little more than extractions, remove nerves from certain teeth or drain abscesses affecting visible, front teeth.
M&S Dental in Fort William has been transformed into an NHS emergency hub to treat the most distressed patients during the Covid-19 crisis.
Staff previously worked with up to 100 NHS and private patients a day for everything from check-ups to complex dentistry and cosmetic treatments.
But during lockdown the practice, which serves around 15,000 people, has been providing advice, relief and treatment to patients with chronic problems.
Gregor Muir, who founded the practice in 1998, said: “Certainly it’s been frustrating that treatment options available to us are so limited.
“But, as the lockdown eases, we will start to see more and more treatments opening up again.
“Many of the calls we have been fielding have been from people with broken crowns or missing fillings and there is little we can do for them at the moment.
“In the case of fillings, we have even referred people to Amazon where they can buy temporary filling material.”
He added: “Many pharmacies have temporary filling material in stock.
“It is simply a putty-type material which can be placed in a cavity with your thumb.
“It is not a permanent treatment, but it does tide patients over until they can get it sorted properly.
“Normally if someone needed this, they would visit their local pharmacy and the staff there would give them the best advice.
“However, during lockdown some patients reported their pharmacies had run out, so we advised patients to check availability online.”
Mr Muir said patients, despite their discomfort, had not taken out their frustration on staff.
“In fact, they are respectful of the restrictions we’ve been operating under and grateful that they are finally having their problems addressed,” he said.
While the Fort William practice and a sister centre in Glencoe have been shut and staff furloughed, almost the entire team volunteered to be part of the NHS emergency hub.
Practice manager Jillian Bruce said: “We’ve all heard the horror stories about people removing their own teeth, but thankfully we haven’t seen anything like that.
A British Dental Association spokeswoman said: “Patients using temporary dentistry kits should contact their dentist first to get advice on the steps they need to take.”