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Changing Dentist/Denplan

How easy is it to change dentists if you’re in Denplan?

I have been with my dentist for 7 years but no longer have any confidence in him, mainly because he doesn’t communicate. I won’t bore you with the details. On top of that he has a new hygienist who has upset both me and my daughter. She told my daughter she has serious gingivitis when she does not and the dentist had to make her apologise to my daughter and it took about two weeks for the discomfort to die down after she did a scale and polish for me and the swelling has not completely gone down yet – after 6 weeks!

I have had a dentist recommended to me, who is also in Denplan. Do I just ring them up and tell them I would like to change to them, or do I have to go through Denplan?

Also, is it likely to cost me anything extra? When I first went to the original dentist and he wanted to put me on Denplan, I had to have £200 of work done before I could be accepted, or so he told me, even though I had seen my NHS dentist only six weeks before.

Mrs P P
"Keep your dreams as clean as silver..." John Stewart (1939-2008)

Comments

  • welshdent
    welshdent Posts: 1,994 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    IIRC you need to get a certificate of dental health or something like that from your own dentist. Denplan is a maintenance plan so if any work is needed they must provide it so in theory no you dont need to have to pay for any work to be done. If you attend the new practice and they spot something though they will want it sorted before they take you on - your original provider should do this.... thats all part of the dental health bit above.

    Probably best to contact the new practice and ask them what they advise. You dont need to go via denplan but they will probably be able to advise of practice locations for you
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,085 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    welshdent wrote: »
    Probably best to contact the new practice and ask them what they advise.


    I'd second that.

    If you've only just had a check up, then it shouldn't be too much trouble, but you'd probably have to pay another check-up charge at the new place before they'd agree to sign over the Denplan agreement.

    That's usually what I do, but if things really are very straight forward, I sometimes waive that charge.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • I've just rung Denplan. They need me to go back to my old dentist to get signed off as dentally fit. I am really not sure I can do this as I know I am not dentally fit. After the hygienist butchered me at the end of March she needed to have another half hour to butcher me again, but couldn't fit me in until 19 May. I really don't want to allow her the opportunity to do that again.

    The alternative is that I go to the new dentist and get assessed and see how much they will charge to get me dentally fit, and pay privately for that.

    I think that's my only choice really after what this practice have put me through.

    Mrs P P
    "Keep your dreams as clean as silver..." John Stewart (1939-2008)
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,085 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I've just rung Denplan. They need me to go back to my old dentist to get signed off as dentally fit. I am really not sure I can do this as I know I am not dentally fit. After the hygienist butchered me at the end of March she needed to have another half hour to butcher me again, but couldn't fit me in until 19 May. I really don't want to allow her the opportunity to do that again.

    The alternative is that I go to the new dentist and get assessed and see how much they will charge to get me dentally fit, and pay privately for that.

    I think that's my only choice really after what this practice have put me through.

    Mrs P P

    Denplan always recommend the 'final check-up' route. But if you've just had a check-up, there really isn't any sense in going back again just for the form (Thats not always that much use anyway!)

    I would just ring up (or call in) and explain the situation to the new practice and take it from there.

    If it's the hygienist that's the problem rather than any trust issues with the dentist, chances are your teeth are OK anyway.

    Have you not thought of letting your dentist know your feelings about the hygienist and the fact that you want to go elsewhere because of her?

    If it were my practice, I woud want to know about issues like this from my regular patients, and if there were lots of such complaints, then the hygienist wouldn't last very long.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    edited 10 May 2011 at 4:54PM
    As you've posted before you are probably doing the right thing changing dentists. But re the hygienist.... Many people who have gum disease or inflammation can be quite shocked the first time they see a thorough hygienist. Typically their gums bleed alot ,their teeth can be quite sensitive to hot and cold afterwards and this should be explained it's often not because the hygienist is rough but because to properly get to the tartar you need to get right underneath the inflamed gum.

    Many people then want to let the gum "settle down" so they are more gentle cleaning around the gums when in fact they should scrub particularly well around the inflammed gums it will initially make them bleed more and be more sensitive.

    The other reason for your gums to take time to settle down and bleeding alot more is if you have given up smoking recently. Smoking supresses your immune reaction and decreases blood supply to the gums so often the true extent of gum disease is hidden. Stop smokin and your immune system kicks in again and typically gums bleed more etc as immune system starts to attack the infection in the gums.

    If it was just the effect of the hygienists actions that was making your gums sore then that would have settled five to seven days. If your gums are swollen six weeks later you are probably being too delicate with cleaning and flossing/ tepe brushes. All of this should have been explained to you and you should have instruction in tooth cleaning and flossing which you have previously said you haven't had.

    For you to need this level of cleaning you obviously have a gum problem and one thing you should look for in a new dentist and hygienist is good communication to helP you solve your problems.
  • Mrs_P_Pincher
    Mrs_P_Pincher Posts: 538 Forumite
    Yes I have had a gum problem for the last 40 years, caused by a hereditary condition causing a heavy build up of tartar according to the dentist and I've seen a hygienist every three months for at least the last twelve years, both here and at previous practices without any of these sort of problems. It is only since this new hygienist arrived that I (and my daughter) have had issues. She has complained. I would be uncomfortable about complaining because of the issues I have with the dentist who, as I say, simply does not communicate, which has caused me some major problems in the past.

    This is a one man (and the hygienist) practice, he is coming up to retiring and I do not think he is particularly interested in dealing with any 'difficult' issues presented by a patient and unfortunately since I have been with him, I have had a lot of problems, which he has been unable to help with, starting with a series of horrible, painful herpetic mouth infections that he could not treat and my GP would not treat. I do not believe his practice has left me dentally fit and I think I will probably have to bite the bullet and pay to get fit again, but I will take up Toothsmith's advice and call the new practice first just in case. They do at least have modern premises and seem very go ahead - hopefully this is reflected in their practice - they have certainly looked after my other daughter very well.

    Thanks for your advice chaps.

    Mrs P P
    "Keep your dreams as clean as silver..." John Stewart (1939-2008)
  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    Sorry but as has been said before there is no such thing as hereditary tartar causing gum disease. You can have tartar build up with no gum disease, it is plaque amongst other things (smoking,diabetes etc) that causes gum disease, tartar is just plaque that has been undisturbed for 24 to 72+ hours.

    As to your herpetic mouth infections are you sure you have things right? Herpetic mouth infections are a one off thing(herpetic gingivo stomatitis) appear in children and young adults and last 7 to 10 days and need no treatment. Apthous ulcers last 7 to 10 days and come up every couple of weeks. They are not infectious often need no treatment other than pain relief but can be a sign of anaemia etc . If you still get them mention it to your new dentist.
  • Mrs_P_Pincher
    Mrs_P_Pincher Posts: 538 Forumite
    I think they were connected with my underactive thyroid and the vitamin and mineral deficiencies that go along with it, because they came along when that started about 6/7 years ago. Dentist said it was a herpetic infection - all oral mucosa covered with vesicles (sp?). Dentist said it was out of his ability to treat because it required acyclovir or something similar that he could not prescribe. GP said he could not treat it and referred me to a consultant who turned out to be an oncologist! Story of my life! You couldn't make it up.

    This dentist is insistent that the tartar build up thing is hereditary and he has told my daughter she has the same problem! Sounds like another very good reason to move on then, if that is not correct.

    Mrs P P
    "Keep your dreams as clean as silver..." John Stewart (1939-2008)
  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    edited 10 May 2011 at 9:48PM
    Dentists can and do prescribe acyclovir but you are probably right as vitamin b12 ,folate and iron deficiency anaemia are also associated with apthous ulcers, which don't respond to acyclovir but do resolve when deficiencies sorted out. As your dentist is private at that time they would not have been allowed to issue nhs prescriptions so at that time a private prescription may have proved to be too expensive. But as I said if you had repeated episodes much more likely to be apthous ulcers.

    Tartar build up with the right techniques is entirely preventable.
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