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

Fork86

Billieblob wrote: »

Chris Orr is a highly respected lecturer in the field of Aesthetic Dentistry, but I would request that you forward a specific reference for your evidence as I'm sure Chris would not be too happy trying to cement veneers to calculus!

I wasn't referring to Chris Orr, I was referring to Phil Ower (my mistake, spelt his surname wrong in previous post)


Our practice has adopted this method of treating perio under the NHS contract

Unfortunately, we are paying out of our own pockets to supplement this treatment on the NHS, as the PCT will not. It is all evidenced based, with help from a specialist called Phil Ower... Just look up his periocourses on google.

(In cases of periodontits (BPE's 3, 4 *), a patient is offer 4 appaointments including the check up with the dentist. The next three are with the hygeinist, consisting of one appointment based purely on OHI, 6ppc and indicies. On the 3rd visit, a patient is only given full mouth ultrasonic debridement should their bleeding scores be 10% (plaque checked for smokers). If this isn't the case. Oral hygeine is reinforced. 4th vistit is a 2 month review.

In most cases, BPE's of 1 and 2 do NOT need a scale and polish. calculus only needs to be removed if it in anyway obstructs the patient in plaque removal. If patients want this removed and it won't actually help with their home routine, they need to see the hygienist privately. I have seen plently of patients with caculus who do not have gingivitis, and even those that do, just need to keep the calculus clean. The obvious exception to his are the patients who walk in with 'calculus splints' around their front teeth, they can't even floss...

Even those with BPE's of 3's can be managed with Oral hygeine Instruction as long as it just false pocketing.

Othwerwise what is the point of removing tar tar or offering any sort of debridement if patients cannot manage their own plaque removal.

Their treatment outcomes have been shown to not improve if oral hygiene is not optimal at HOME. Sporadic debridement in the surgery will not help unless the patient can help themselves.


Most people reading this will not understand half of what I have written down, but the point is that there are actually dentists working in the NHS who DO have the patients best interests at heart, and don't just do everything that is cost effective.

If any of my patients require periodontal gum treatment, as well as some other Band 2 work, I will not actually get payed by my principal as I have to pay my hygeinist for the 3 visits they will spend with the patients, which incidentally, is the same as what I will get payed for doing band 2 work.

boozercruiser

ANNA wrote: »

Hello,

I am annoyed and aggrieved at the level of service I had from a dentist recently.

My previous dentist was private but has retired. My circumstances have recently changed so I decided to go NHS.

On the recommendation of a friend who was treated by the practice owner/dentist, I booked with a new dental practice that was accepting new NHS patients.

I booked an NHS check-up and was told this costs £16.50.



I had to wait 45 minutes beyond my appointment time in a crowded waiting room. I had filled in the practice form and signed it but the receptionist insisted on reading it out to me (name, dob, address, etc.) for the whole waiting room to hear.



I was finally seen by a dentist who it soon became apparent to me was recently qualified and newly at the practice. I would say that her heart wasn’t in the job. Her assistant was clearly a trainee. The dentist counted up my teeth and fillings. She made a few mistakes and missed many of my tooth-coloured fillings altogether. All the while she chewed gum loudly and in close proximity to my ear. The dentist then offered me x-rays which I declined as I had had x-rays a few months prior. She prodded my gums a bit and said my teeth and gums were alright.


She said she was done. I said I was expecting a scale and polish. She said that’s a separate appointment needed with the hygienist and costs £41. But I insisted as I had taken time off work especially and it was supposed to be part of treatment as the receptionist had said you can discuss all that with the dentist.

She scaled and polished only my front lower teeth inner sides. She told her assistant that this stuff (polish?) splashes everywhere. She did not put anything to cover and protect my clothes (office suit) and afterwards I found bits everywhere (in my hair and nose and on my clothes and face).

She said at the end you’ve only paid £16.50, yet I thought the NHS supplements the patient’s payment.

Can anyone please advise me of my rights as I want to log a complaint.

What a truly lousy experience you had there ANNA. As if going to the Dentist isn't worrying enough for most people.

I do hope that this is not the sort of Dentist who is coming through now newly qualified. I mean, just chewing gum while dealing with a patient is bad enough which is also being ignorant and indicates no good manners.

(happens a lot in society nowadays though)

This along with the apparent heart not in the job attitude rounded off with what sounds like a rather awfull examination experience.

She truly sounds like a future Dentist From Hell.:eek:

Still, she got one thing right though. She said that you don't have any teeth or gum problems (nice one) so a scale and polish is not needed and can be refused I have learned here.

I was just wondering why she offered you x rays while at the same time saying there where no problems.:question:

Also, and I am not wishing to be racist, but just out of interest like, ....
was this person one of our incoming inside or outside the EU people:question:

brook2jack

A new patient should always be xrayed if they have teeth as decay can be hidden until you wake up on a saturday morning with toothache! It is good practice.

Why on earth should a dentists nationality make them a good or bad dentist or be of any consequence whatsoever? There are plenty of excellent Indian dentists and bad English ones out there.

boozercruiser

brook2jack wrote: »

A new patient should always be xrayed if they have teeth as decay can be hidden until you wake up on a saturday morning with toothache! It is good practice.

Why on earth should a dentists nationality make them a good or bad dentist or be of any consequence whatsoever? There are plenty of excellent Indian dentists and bad English ones out there.

Thank you for the X Ray point. Like I have previously said since moving to wales 7 years ago I have seen 5 or 6 different Polish Dentists and to be frank I was only overly impressed with one of them. And NONE have wanted to X Ray me at that first examination.

If my memory is correct (without trawling through all previous posts) I think one of my Dentist friends did point out that the way of training and standards in other countries combined with the way the NHS works does not make an ideal comination under some circumstances.

To be honest......if there where two choices of NHS Dentist where I live...one with a properly qualified Engish or one from the EU then I would choose the English Dentist.

This is my experience.

Oh!...and my Doctor here who I am more than happy with is actually Indian. But then, in many ways they are a really special case in all aspects of Medical Care.

My best friend EVER in my life was and is an Indian guy.

There are good and bad people in all aspects of life of course in all nationalities.

Beki88

I have a question, and have looked at various posts but there are a alot!
I am with an NHS dentist, but they have been taken over by a chain though still NHS, previous when I had a scale and polish it was done via dentist and I was covered with my tax credit exemption card.

Since they were taken over by the chain I had an appointment where the dentist told me that I had a bad build up of calculus which was making my gums worse and causing them to "receed", they advised me to get them polished & scaled but I would have to see the hygenist, went to make an appointment and they told me it was a 30 odd pound charge.

I argued I shouldnt have to pay due to my card and they said the hygenist is private within the practice.
One of the things I read was that if it is recommended as part of treatment I should be covered?

So where do I stand? Thanks

brook2jack

brook2jack wrote: »

Read the very long thread above , if you want a scale and polish to eg get rid of stains or a bit of tartar behind your front teeth then you have to pay privately , if you have disease , and this can often only be spotted by a dentist , then you are entitled to nhs treatment.

Unfortunately this simple message has been overtaken by reams of repetition. Your treatment may not be with the hygienist but if you are told you have disease treatment IS covered on the NHS. Write to the practice manager if you get no joy.

boozercruiser

Beki88 wrote: »

I have a question, and have looked at various posts but there are a alot!
I am with an NHS dentist, but they have been taken over by a chain though still NHS, previous when I had a scale and polish it was done via dentist and I was covered with my tax credit exemption card.

Since they were taken over by the chain I had an appointment where the dentist told me that I had a bad build up of calculus which was making my gums worse and causing them to "receed", they advised me to get them polished & scaled but I would have to see the hygenist, went to make an appointment and they told me it was a 30 odd pound charge.

I argued I shouldnt have to pay due to my card and they said the hygenist is private within the practice.
One of the things I read was that if it is recommended as part of treatment I should be covered?

So where do I stand? Thanks

My head is being done in but it sounds to my like you really should be being treated under the NHS and NOT charged extra for the Hygienist.
The answer and opinions on this really are in previous posts.

I cannot spell day zaa vu...but you get the idea?:rotfl:

Do not allow yourself to become a part of Rip Off Britain is all I can say.:D

Beki88

Sorry I didn't mean to post when obviously so many others have done before me.
I was told before I had some kind of gum disease, bleeding gums swollen red etc, and just had to have all wisdom teeth out plus 2nd molar, I now actually have a piece of bone sliced through my gum which I am waiting to be "sanded" down, also a bad jaw.
I hate my teeth

boozercruiser

Beki88 wrote: »

Sorry I didn't mean to post when obviously so many others have done before me.
I was told before I had some kind of gum disease, bleeding gums swollen red etc, and just had to have all wisdom teeth out plus 2nd molar, I now actually have a piece of bone sliced through my gum which I am waiting to be "sanded" down, also a bad jaw.
I hate my teeth

Oh! Dear Oh! Dear. Please feel welcome to post...you did the right thing. It is when people like you post with an experience like yours that is makes my blood BOIL:mad:

This sounds just like what happened to me where a rip off company has taken over a Dentist Practice and then played on ignorance of rights to take advantage of patients.

The way it always was done in past years is as you describe "I am with an NHS dentist, but they have been taken over by a chain though still NHS, previous when I had a scale and polish it was done via dentist and I was covered with my tax credit exemption card."

But in recent years and spreading like Cancer is the way it is happening now.

That Dentist and his crap organisation are just wanting to dump on you instead of doing what they SHOULD be doing and treating you under whatever NHS band is applicable to you.

God.....is there NO honour now with some Dentist Practices? I hear so much whinging here about what it costs to carry out some NHS treatments which cannot be afforded by them. So...they don't do what they should and try and pass the work on to others at extra cost to the patient.

If this is you then why sign the ruddy NHS contract? Did you not read it? What didn't you understand about it? Perhaps I can help? God...why don't you just do the job you signed up for?

Just do the honourable thing if you don't want to do the right thing by NHS Patients and rugger off to Private practice.

Good riddance I say.

I am ranting because it is really sad that this poor person is saying he/she hates is teeth, has a problem and yet his/her Dentist is trying to con him/her.:mad: Bad...VERY BAD! I really really hate people being ripped off like this.

How many thousands of other people are being shafted this way?

I dread to think!:mad:

PS Beki88.....That Dentist should be treating you under the NHS. Insist on that. No ifs, no buts, no messing about...no argument....this is your rights.:)

As I understand it then your treatment is covered FREE on the NHS. It is NOT free when you are being skived off to a Private Hygienist (this should not be allowed) for a £30 fee. AND it will not end there don't forget. (The Hygienist will probably want to see you again in 3 months time for another £30) Once you are in the net...that's it...your in the frying pan and cooked to perfection.

End of rant. (Until next time).

boozercruiser

Beki88 wrote: »

Sorry I didn't mean to post when obviously so many others have done before me.
I was told before I had some kind of gum disease, bleeding gums swollen red etc, and just had to have all wisdom teeth out plus 2nd molar, I now actually have a piece of bone sliced through my gum which I am waiting to be "sanded" down, also a bad jaw.
I hate my teeth

Hello again Beki88

My missus told me to "Calm down, calm down dear" so I did:D (I don't mind anyone saying that to me...and you can even call me 'Pet' if you want to!

Regarding Dental Complaints have a look here at the Citizens advice website.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/h_nhs_dental_treatment.pdf

Print out a copy of the regulations from the very start of this post which your Dentist should be honouring. If you have to, show it to the practice manager/dentist just in case they don't understand or have forgotten what the obligations are after signing that contract and then being paid by us taxpayers for carrying out what they should be doing but in too many cases are not.:mad:

Please keep us informed how you go on. But please do not pay a bean to the con merchants.:D