Dentists - how can you spot a con?

Pennylane

brook2jack wrote: »

The moral of the story is if you wait until you have toothache you will have no choice but to see the dentist who can fit you in.

Good dentists ,particularly those who are good with nervous patients often don't have free space for casual emergencies. Therefore start looking before you have problems. Establish a relationship with a dentist so you can build you confidence rather than your first visit being seeing a total stranger when you are stressed and in pain.

All my family go for regular check-ups thank you Brookjack. There are people out there, who for whatever reason, don't though.

spugzbunny

My dentist is NHS and he's great. Not big on the personality department but a great dentist! I don't know what he drives!

brook2jack

spugzbunny wrote: »

My dentist is NHS and he's great. Not big on the personality department but a great dentist! I don't know what he drives!

Quite ! different people look for different things in dentists. He's a great dentist for you but might not be for a nervous patient who needs lots of talking to and reassurance. Likewise there are people who don't want to be chatted to and find it annoying.

Different dentists have different skills which is why when asking for recommendations ask people eg are they good with nervous people, are they good with kids , do they make good dentures?

It's a very personal relationship and if you can bears dividends if you can investigate before going.

justjohn

lynseydee wrote: »

Hi Justjohn

How did you go about finding your dentist? Like you I hadn't gone to the dentist in about 15 years and the dentist I saw was brilliant. Fortunately I didn't need to have anything done. For various reasons it was about 3 years when I eventually went back for a checkup and my previous dentist has retired. The dentist I saw was nice enough but not like the dentist I saw previously.

Just lucky I guess. I phoned the NHS emergency line as I was in agony and they sent me to the nearest one that had a free appointment.

I then went on their waiting list as they were fully booked and after a few months I became a 'registered patient'.

welshdent

Be aware that in wales and england there is no registration at present.

elfen

My dentist is NHS and they're well aware I'm not too comfy in the chair (need to go back as a filling fell out)...but they do offer the no injection option for fillings and its not too bad

coldstreamalways

elfen wrote: »

My dentist is NHS and they're well aware I'm not too comfy in the chair (need to go back as a filling fell out)...but they do offer the no injection option for fillings and its not too bad

I'm not aware of a no injection option that successfully restores teeth? Is it the wand they are using? Like a small pen type device that delivers the anaesthetic?

Still, now we are judging people by what cars they drive, I shan't be answering any more dental threads unless the OP tells us what their wheels are. Afterall, I wouldn't want to inadvertantly help a morally bankrupt money grabber who has invested tens of thousands of pounds in their own training only to be pilloried because too many people believe what they read in the daily mail.

jellymid

brook2jack wrote: »

I am a private (mostly) dentist. I drive a ten year old Skoda, my colleague a three year old basic model vectra .
My nurses husband works in the car industry so she drives a brand new top of the range car. The owner of the practice keeps fit so he cycles in.

The newly qualified dentist who we train walks in because after all their student debt they cannot afford to run a car.

And this would tell you?

That if somebody had recommended you, I'd be happy to come to you. This incident happened 10 years ago, and I have had no major problems since then. I have subsequently seen 3 other dentists, none have whom have any concerns about the existing fillings. I honestly believe this dentist was on the make. I have seen at least 8 dentists during my life, and this is the only one, but it does make you wary. I guess that is how the OP is feeling.

brook2jack

My point is there is an expensive high end car in the car park.... It belongs not to a dentist but to a nurse whose husband is in the motor business and has nothing to do with the surgery. However if you looked in the car park you may make assumptions as to who owns it and how they earned it.

jellymid

Yes, I did say it was a very crude method. If there were only high end cars in the carpark, but I had a good recommendation or two, I might still go, but I would be very wary of recommendations of lots of work.