NHS Dentistry Patient Information

glitchik

My NHS dentist seems to be saving money by withholding anaesthetic. This started after the April 2006 charging rules were implemented. Any dentist like to confirm my suspicions and explain the background?

Toothsmith

A cartridge of anaesthetic is very cheap. Hardly a money saving thing.

Earlier in the year there was a serious shortage of dental local anaesthetic.

This was due to a major supplier closing a production factory in one country, then realising that it's new production facility in a different country hadn't got all it's licences!

Muppets!!

As you can imagine, dental local anaesthetic cartridges are hardly a mass-market thing, and if one major producer goes down, it takes a while for other manufacturers to take up the slack.

This resulted in some quite serious difficulties for some dentists up & down the country, and even some cancelled appointments.

I think a box of 200 anaesthetic cartridges went for about £100 on Ebay when one dentist with a good stock cashed in!!! (Normal price about £30)

Some dentists sourced anaesthetic from the USA, where they use a slightly smaller cartridge (1.8ml instead of the european 2.2ml) these fit our syringes OK, but technically it was illegal, as even though it's exactly the same chemicals inside, the 1.8ml cartridge wasn't licensed for use in the UK.

Very late in the day (I.e. when the crisis was almost over) the Department of Health stepped in and licensed the 1.8ml cartridge.

Other manufactureres have upped their production now, and things are pretty much back to normal.

But that was more the reason for the shortage of anaesthetic. Not pennypinching.

glitchik

Thanks Toothsmith. I have a supplementary question: Why did the dentist give me some (never heard before) half-explanation about being guided by my reactions? Why did he and the "desk" no simply say: "Anaesthetic in short supply?"

BFG_2

glitchik wrote:

Thanks Toothsmith. I have a supplementary question: Why did the dentist give me some (never heard before) half-explanation about being guided by my reactions? Why did he and the "desk" no simply say: "Anaesthetic in short supply?"

You don't actually need anaesthetic for a lot of fillings.

Toothsmith

glitchik wrote:

Thanks Toothsmith. I have a supplementary question: Why did the dentist give me some (never heard before) half-explanation about being guided by my reactions? Why did he and the "desk" no simply say: "Anaesthetic in short supply?"

Because the supply problem might not have been the reason?

Did it hurt when he did it?

If it didn't then he was right! You didn't need anaesthetic.

Having the injection is not always pain free. Maybe he thought the anaesthetic would hurt more than what he had to do.

Maybe he suspected the tooth was dead. If it was the it wouldn't hurt to do, but it would tell him that maybe that tooth would need a root-filling to prevent an abscess later on. But if you did have feeling through it then it would be alive and OK.

There are loads of possiblilities. Prehaps if you ask him next time?

Toothsmith

I just brought this thread back to the top again with THIS link.

As the numptys at the DoH introduced a system without testing it out first, they could only guess the revenue it would raise through patient charges.

This revenue is all part of NHS dentistry's funding, and it's now over £100 million short!

I bet there won't be such a trumpeting from the DoH about this as there was about the extra £100 million (over 3 years, terms and conditions apply, being a dentist is no guarentee of any extra money at all) that was announced a few months ago, which no actual dental practice has seen any trace of yet!

MickKnipfler

I logged onto the NHS website this morning and serched for a dentist in my area taking on NHS patients.....I found one a few miles away....called them and got a message saying that they weren't taking them on....great

How reliable is the NHS databse and do I have a RIGHT to an NHS Dentist?

LondonDiva

MickKnipfler wrote:

I logged onto the NHS website this morning and serched for a dentist in my area taking on NHS patients.....I found one a few miles away....called them and got a message saying that they weren't taking them on....great

How reliable is the NHS databse and do I have a RIGHT to an NHS Dentist?

No you don't have a right to an NHS dentist in the same way that your PCT must make sure you have a GP.

All they can do is give you details of availability and information. The database is fairly up to date, but it depends on the size of the dentist's NHS practice and how they've divided it acorss the year and whether (rightly imho) they are prioritising ensuring existing patients will be able to get treatment.

Your best bet is to ring your local PCT's PALS and ask them to check out the practice's claim to be operating to capacity. If they are, the practice should give you info on their waiting list for new patients and PALS will send you out a list of NHS dentists in your area.

However, a point to note is that unlike GPs, you can register with any NHS dentist ~ so you can try to register with a convinient one near work (try their PALS) or one recommended by a friend.

MickKnipfler

I managed to find one about 12 miles away and am booked in for Tuesday.

Thanks

sainthalo

I simply cant understand, and never have, why we have a right to a doctor but not a dentist.