Peter Owen could not afford private treatment

Peter Owen, 19, from Colwyn Bay, north Wales, had to have an emergency tracheotomy after the abscess grew so big that it blocked his windpipe.

He developed toothache but was told an emergency NHS dentist would not be available for six days.

Conwy Local Health Board said there was a general shortage of dentists in the UK, which was not unique to Wales.

Mr Owen, who is unemployed, attended a private practice, where a nurse diagnosed a broken tooth, but he could not afford the �121 to have it removed.

It should have been a routine procedure but they made him wait and the end result was him on a life support machine Peter Owen's mother, Wynne

Three days later his mouth was badly swollen but he was refused help by his local GP, where a receptionist said they did not deal with dental matters.

Mr Owen, who was not registered with a dental practice, eventually saw an emergency dentist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl on 7 November, six days after the pain began.

He confirmed that Mr Owen had a broken tooth and booked him in for an extraction four days later.

But the following day Mr Owen could barely breathe and was taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan.

Surgeons performed an emergency operation to remove the abscess which was blocking his windpipe and he was placed on a life support machine for 48 hours. He returned home on Monday.

His mother Wynne, 47, said: "He is still a bit weepy, as you would expect.

Dental clinics

The trust is always able to see patients who need emergency treatment at these clinics Conwy and Debighshire NHS Trust

"It should have been a routine procedure but they made him wait and the end result was him on a life support machine."

Mrs Owen added: "There are not enough dentists in Wales, and these kids can't afford private ones.

"I feel very strongly about this. Peter is a young lad and will recover, but the next person might not be so lucky."

A spokeswoman for the local health board said it had to respect patient confidentiality and it had not heard from the family.

She added that there "was a general shortage of dentists in the UK which was not unique to Wales".

Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trust said if there was any complaint about the hospital treatment, it would be happy to discuss it with Mrs Owen.

A spokeswoman said: "The trust does hold emergency community dental clinics on evenings during the week at Rhyl, Llanfairfechan and Wrexham and at weekends at Rhyl.