THE mother of a 10-year-old girl has hit out at a lack of emergency dentists on weekends and during the evening.

On Sunday evening Becky Pyatt's daughter started suffering with severe tooth pain, which was so bad she felt as if she was going to be sick.

Ms Pyatt, from Newport, rang the non-emergency NHS 111 number to see try and contact an emegency dentist - but was told there were none available.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “All health boards have arrangements in place to provide emergency dental treatment, advice and support.

“People seeking treatment should contact the dental helpline or NHS 111 and they will be able to assess whether urgent treatment is needed or whether the patient can be seen at the next earliest opportunity during normal hours.”

Ms Pyatt said: “I called the emergency dentist to be told there is no emergency dentist on evening of weekends.

“I asked if they could at least give me some advice to be told no, so I don’t see the point in having an emergency dental number.

“I was extremely desperate to get some sort of help as she was in so much pain, she felt sick and like she was going to pass out.

“As a parent I felt totally helpless, and it was heart-breaking.

“I was angry I could not ger her help, it made me feel totally useless as a mother.”

Ms Pyatt tried ringing 111 for a second time – the man put her daughter on the out of hours GP list in a bid to get her stronger pain medication until a dentist could see to her daughter the following day.

Ms Pyatt said: “I did not receive a call back until 7:07 Monday morning at which point was totally useless.

“This ordeal was totally traumatising for my 10-year-old daughter and should never have happened.

“I was so worried for my daughter, I thought we would end up in hospital because leaving in someone in that much pain for a prolonged period of time is dangerous.

“She could have gone into some sort of shock which can lead to very unpredictable outcomes.”

Ms Pyatt’s daughter saw an emergency dentist in Ringland clinic, Newport on Monday.