Asked for Dental NHS Scale and Polish.Told "Go to Hygienist at £25 extra"

boozercruiser

Coldstreamalways "Don't be surprised if there is another new dentist there next time. It's amazing how quickly you get weary of this behaviour."

Thank you for your view on this subject, though I of course do not agree with you.

Regarding your above comment. I am now 67 and up until moving to Wales 5 years ago I had only TWO very good Dentists who have led to me only losing 5 teeth in my life and I have never ever given a thought of makeing a complaint. My last Dentist before we moved was in Northampton and that Dentist was wonderfull and we had him for 25 years. I never had an issue with him for a minute

We moved here and there have been FIVE different Dentist at the local Health Center . Four Polish and one Italian.

I am not being Racist when I say that most English Dentists have, possibly like Toothsmith, dumpted the NHS because of the change in Contract forced on them by this rotton useless incompetant Government. That Contract is hated by the Dentists and it wouldn't win a popularity contest with customers either.

So I resent the assumption that people like me who are also complaining about changes which have led to a deterioration in Dental care have any responsibility for one single Dentist dumping the NHS Dental service.

For your further information, I do not shout or stamp my feet when just trying to make my point.

But then...if YOU are part of the establishment then YOU will always be against the masses makeing a complaint about ANYTHING....even though generally speaking it is the ESTABLISHMENT that is part of the problem.

Cheers.

welshdent

alison999 wrote: »

It will be interesting to see what they say, though I would have done it through a phone call rather than a email, if your email has gone into their spam folder then you'll never get a reply.

Just a couple of things, I probably would not have said the bit about the phone call if it was my letter. If you wanted to say you called thats fine but dont throw out an allegation that they hung up on you as its more likely to get you on to a more positive footing with the individual responding to you. A more easy going approach may get you more for your money so to speak.

Now toothsmith and other have alluded to this ... but did you WANT a scale and polish? By that I mean did you ask for one? Wanting one and needing one are very different things and if its not needed than asking for an NHS one probably isnt on. Sure some will do it but they would be within their rights to decline it IF they could back this up. Arguing on the basis of cost probably wont gain much for you. The £39 is the standard charge for a band 2 course and the dentist has no control over this. Also they do not actually receive this as a direct payment. Think of it as a stealth tax. The £39 does not entitle you to a filling and a scale and polish, it entitles you to necessary treatment as diagnosed necessary by THAT dentist. I would think, given the limited amount of work needed on previous cleans that perhaps you do not need much doing anyway so that could be viewed as a positive nod to your oral hygiene . I wouldnt look too much at what other dentists did on the old contract. There were different pressures and guidelines then. Also different dentists see things differently.

welshdent

boozercruiser wrote: »

Thank You All.

Yes, actually I have tried all of that in the past. Because we have worked all of our lives and are in receipt of small company pensions we cannot claim a thing.
No Pension Credit, No Council Tax Relief. Nothing.
If I had never worked I would get the lot. FREE.

You are assuming you would want all that is available anyway!! There is very little NHS type dentistry I would want in my mouth. I am referring to the materials which are largely not the best available ... not that the government would let us admit this to the public in person

welshdent

boozercruiser wrote: »

I have just come back from calling in at the Dentist and asked the Practice Manager if she did indeed cut me off. She said "No I wouldn't do that". I said "Well why didn't you ring me back?" She said "We where really busy that day and I couldn't spare the time!"
Yes and I saw a flying sheep yesterday! (I live in Wales).
I said "Did you receive my E. Mail? and her answer was "Yes, and I have forward it on to head office (Denticare)
So right now I am going to add more to that E. Mail in view of some good advice I have had from this Forum.
See you later. Watch this space!

I can guarantee that NHS practices in wales get BUSY! On a daily basis we can get phone call after phone call straight after hanging up the handset. Thats in addition to those patients needing attention at the desk.

welshdent

alison999 wrote: »

to be honest i think lots of patient could have bpe chart done and not even know about it, he/she could easily say they wrote it down without shouting it all out.

some patients think that they havent had a check up just because the dientist didnt shout out about every tooth - not all dentists (even working in the same practice as each other) do that.

Excellent point. I frequently get patients in for treatment such as a lost filling. I`ll do the exam and treatmen ( AND BPE!!) there and then but they still try and book in 3 weeks later for their check up

welshdent

boozercruiser wrote: »

With respect, I think that you are missing the point. This started off because the Dentist originaly said that my gums looked a little unhealthy and that I should go and see the Hygenist at a cost of £25 which would include the Scale and Polish I wanted.
Now of course the Dentist would be more than happy if I went to the hygenist and would not object to THAT.......WHY..........WELL......

More Money for HIM:p and less work for HIM.:p

Less cash for ME:mad:

I am not fresh off a Banana Boat thank you very mutch!:D

Also, this is a Money Saving Forum....NOT a Money Giving Away Forum.:D

With all due respect ... if you knew how the system worked either way the likelyhood that the dentist benefits financially from giving you a scale and polish or not is rather remote. The company might but the dentist wont. Also denticare pay their dentists comparative peanuts compared to what they make off the back of their overseas dentists. They are treated very shabilly IMO. I would say they are giving you a scale and polish to have an easy life because its not worth the hassle arguing. That doesnt mean you are "entitled" to it though especially if you are asking for it despite being told its not needed

welshdent

boozercruiser wrote: »

I think it is the big business side of things that has led to this now widespread practice.:D

nope ... and neither is seeing the hygieneist a new thing. My mother has been one for 30 years. practices change. Their services will change and what the offer change. My practice used to do a lot of difficult extractions and take on minor surgical procedures. They dont any more because the dentist that did them left. Big business is not the issue its the rubbish contract forced on the profession who are merely trying to keep their business going with ever decreasing fees from the NHS. WADR I believe you have gotten completely the wrong end of the stick and lack an appreciation of the finer points of the industry. Its a no win situation for many of us. We stay in the health service and get accused of gaming by many for what are ultimately very minor issues ... or go private to be able to provide the dentistry we want and get called greedy.

For what its worth you are not an NHS patient. No one is. You are a private individual who has entered an agreement with a private dentist who agrees to provide clinically necessary treatment to you with the NHS co funding it. IIRC its always been like this. Hence where in reality the only "NHS dentists" exist in community and hospital settings

boozercruiser

Welshdent. I really appreciate all of your very informative points in respect of this issue. BUT....

Again, you are part of the establishment, and with great respect this particular Forum seems full of that ilk supporting the Company stance.

ME...I am just Joe Bloggs who will not be ripped off.

I thought that this Money Saving Forum was in support of that, but it seems that some sections here do not.

I rest my case and will not add anything further here as I better get a life while I still have the will to live. LOL!

I only wanted to help save people some MONEY......Oh! yes I did!.

welshdent

Mate seriously, you attitude that we are of the establishment therefore wrong is not particularly helpful. All any of us have tried to do is give advice based on the information we know. I dont work for a company. You may have noticed from what I have written that I happen to have a very low opinion of the way companies such as them operate. You are trying to avoid being ripped off. We are giving you information of when you may be being ripped off ... but also when you are NOT being ripped off. Just because it is information you do not want to hear does not make it wrong. Of you want to save people money with good advice re their entitlements and what the service is designed to provide then great. However your actions are not doing that. The actions you are implying are to make a pain of yourself until the dentist gives up for an easy life and just does what you want. You can dress that up as part of the establishment or as company rules .... it isnt. I happen to be quite well versed in what the NHS will and will not provided. I do that because it is my job to know. Personally I do all my own cleaning and polishing because using a hygieneist would cost me more money than the NHS pay me. Any patients that do use my practice hygieneist do NOT add to my bank balance as has been incinuated in other posts. That doesnt mean I do not agree with some dentists that see a cosmetic clean and polish as un necessary. It may interest you to know I have never had a scale and polish. By the same token I have had only one filling which was first provided when I was 18 and thus pre dental training. I have had 2 teeth extracted for orthodontic work. This isnt a look at me arent I great post. This is a look at what happens when I properly clean my own teeth and manage my diet appropriately. I do not need a clean and polish and yet I have still prevented any further decay and prevented gun disease. I get a LOT of patients in that need no work doing. They dont need a preventive scale and polish either. I have been seeing some people for years and not so much as scraped a brown speck off them.
NHS dentistry isnt tescos. You cant just go in and demand X Y and Z from a shopping and expect it all for one price. If you want that level of service you can try a private one but even they would be reluctant to give you treatment for the sake of it. It is limited and frustrating to both the patient and the dentist but it is what it is. If you NEED something any moral respectful dentist will provide it. But if you dont "need" it then you have to pay ... by the same token you dont HAVE to have it if you dont want.

But what do I know? I am part of the establishment that want to rip the public off

boozercruiser

welshdent wrote: »

Mate seriously, you attitude that we are of the establishment therefore wrong is not particularly helpful. All any of us have tried to do is give advice based on the information we know. I dont work for a company. You may have noticed from what I have written that I happen to have a very low opinion of the way companies such as them operate. You are trying to avoid being ripped off. We are giving you information of when you may be being ripped off ... but also when you are NOT being ripped off. Just because it is information you do not want to hear does not make it wrong. Of you want to save people money with good advice re their entitlements and what the service is designed to provide then great. However your actions are not doing that. The actions you are implying are to make a pain of yourself until the dentist gives up for an easy life and just does what you want. You can dress that up as part of the establishment or as company rules .... it isnt. I happen to be quite well versed in what the NHS will and will not provided. I do that because it is my job to know. Personally I do all my own cleaning and polishing because using a hygieneist would cost me more money than the NHS pay me. Any patients that do use my practice hygieneist do NOT add to my bank balance as has been incinuated in other posts. That doesnt mean I do not agree with some dentists that see a cosmetic clean and polish as un necessary. It may interest you to know I have never had a scale and polish. By the same token I have had only one filling which was first provided when I was 18 and thus pre dental training. I have had 2 teeth extracted for orthodontic work. This isnt a look at me arent I great post. This is a look at what happens when I properly clean my own teeth and manage my diet appropriately. I do not need a clean and polish and yet I have still prevented any further decay and prevented gun disease. I get a LOT of patients in that need no work doing. They dont need a preventive scale and polish either. I have been seeing some people for years and not so much as scraped a brown speck off them.
NHS dentistry isnt tescos. You cant just go in and demand X Y and Z from a shopping and expect it all for one price. If you want that level of service you can try a private one but even they would be reluctant to give you treatment for the sake of it. It is limited and frustrating to both the patient and the dentist but it is what it is. If you NEED something any moral respectful dentist will provide it. But if you dont "need" it then you have to pay ... by the same token you dont HAVE to have it if you dont want.

But what do I know? I am part of the establishment that want to rip the public off

:cool::D:think: