A couple in need of dental care say they had to pull out their own teeth because no NHS dentist will treat them.
A BBC News analysis of 2,500 dental practices on the NHS Choices website found half were not accepting new adult NHS patients, while two-fifths were not accepting new child NHS patients.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said the figures reflected an "emerging crisis" in dental care in England.
NHS England said 95% of people seeking an appointment could get one.
The NHS carried out 39 million dental treatments in England last year, but Rebecca Brearey and Nick Oldroyd, who live in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said no local NHS dentists would treat them.
'Literally begged'
"We've been trying for four years but no dentist will take us on. Every time I go, I get told there's a two-year waiting list for NHS patients," said Ms Brearey.
"It's got so bad that after taking a combination of paracetamol and alcohol I ripped my half-rotten teeth out.
"The state of my teeth has made me depressed and I've literally begged to be taken on by an NHS dentist, but every time I've been turned away."
Image captionRebecca Brearey says she has had to pull her own teeth out
Mr Oldroyd said: "I was sat there for days in agony with a tooth which was doing my head in and stopping me from sleeping.
"I was drinking to just try and just numb the pain so one night I just pulled it out.
"The tops of my teeth are gone. I'm on benefits and trying to get a job, and when someone sees my teeth they just think I'm another waster.
"I do believe if I could get some dental care I might be able to begin turning my life around."
BBC News has conducted a data analysis of more than 7,000 dental practices in England that are listed on the NHS Choices website.
Just over 2,500 of these practices had information about whether they were currently accepting new NHS patients.
Of those practices displaying information about new NHS patients, 48% were not accepting new adult patients, while 40% were not accepting new child patients.