In a small clinic in central Gaza, Amani Abu Badawi sat in a dentist’s chair, bracing herself for treatment without anaesthesia.
“I was forced to endure it,” she told The National, recalling how her decayed molars were treated without medication. “The pain is something no one can bear.”
Ms Abu Badawi, from Deir Al Balah, has lived with severe toothache for months, visiting clinic after clinic in search of relief. But dentists could offer only short-term fixes, such as painkillers.
Across Gaza, dental care is collapsing despite six months of ceasefire after two years of war in which much of the territory was devastated by Israeli bombardment.
“The profession is facing very serious challenges,” Dr Arafat Ashtaywi, head of the Dentists’ Syndicate in Gaza, told The National.
Clinics are running out of anaesthesia, fillings and materials needed for root canal procedures, limiting the treatment they can offer.
“We are forced to extract teeth that could have been saved,” Dr Ashtaywi said.
In some cases, dentists’ equipment is not properly sterilised because of fuel and electricity shortages.
The result is that even minor dental problems can quickly escalate into irreversible damage.
For patients, the crisis is not only about the availability of proper treatment but also affordability.
Before the war, a simple filling cost about 100 shekels ($33). Today, it can exceed 400 shekels, if materials are available at all.
For families struggling to survive, these costs are out of reach.
“Many people are living in tents and have lost everything,” said Osama Al Shanti, a dentist who has continued his practice despite the challenges. “They cannot afford treatment, so they stay in pain until they lose their teeth.”
The problem begins long before patients reach the dentist’s chair.
Dr Ahmed Sardah, who now operates a small lab after his clinic was destroyed, says the crisis in a lack of raw materials.
“The occupation prevents the entry of essential supplies under the pretext of dual-use,” he said, referring to Israel's policy of banning items that it deems could be repurposed for military use.
Materials such as acrylic, zircon, wax and gypsum, necessary for fillings and prosthetics, are either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.
Prices for supplies have increased fivefold, while attempts to produce materials locally have failed due to lack of equipment.
Electricity shortages have made matters worse.
“Dental labs need power to function,” Dr Sardah said. “But electricity is rarely available.”
He said hundreds of clinics were destroyed during the war, while others have closed due to a lack of equipment and supplies.
“Our work could stop at any moment,” Dr Al Shanti said. “We are continuing with great difficulty.”
Meanwhile, poor nutrition, lack of hygiene, and harsh living conditions in displacement camps have led to a surge in dental diseases.
“People are resorting to primitive methods to relieve pain,” Dr Ashtaywi says. “But these methods often make things worse.”
Ms Abu Badawi said she was still in pain, waiting for a solution that may not come soon.
“I am still suffering,” she said. “I am just waiting for things to improve, for supplies to be allowed in.”
She paused, then added: “The right to treatment is a basic right. But no one is holding anyone accountable.”
