Free Dental Treatment

hoe

The QUB Dental School is offereing free dental treatment.The treatment is done by students but they are supervised at all stages. A colleague at work has just had 3 fillings done and was very impressed. As I already fork out £20 / month on a dental plan it's of no use to me but it may be useful for somebody in the Belfast area. More details are on their website. I can't post links but if you put QUB Dental School into Google its the 2nd link.

freddiemae

I had work done by the students and can confirm that they are very supportive, knowledgeable, and do an extremely competent job. They are supervised at all stages and the work they did for me far exceeded my expectations.

shellymoo

my teeth are in a bad way, havent been to dentist in a good while and i know i need a good few fillings...i'm wondering would they take me? reason i havent been to dentist is i have a really bad fear of it and needles, sounds silly i know but it fills me with fear and dread thinking of even going!

freddiemae

shellymoo wrote: »

my teeth are in a bad way, havent been to dentist in a good while and i know i need a good few fillings...i'm wondering would they take me? reason i havent been to dentist is i have a really bad fear of it and needles, sounds silly i know but it fills me with fear and dread thinking of even going!

I don't like going to the dentist either but I must say that the pain relief given by the students was excellent and they were very supportive/sympathetic to fears.

I wouldn't hesitate to go there again. I've found that my visits there have encourage me to be more careful with my teeth which will help in the long run.

Rach39

They are very competent, however there is a backlog of people waiting to get seen by students and you need to be referred by your dentist in order to get on the list. Also the after care isn't that great as 'your' student may well have moved on. I got a crown done there 2 years ago which has never really fitted properly and keeps coming out. I can't get seen there again to get sorted as need re - referred so am now shelling out for treatment anyway!

brook2jack

If you are nervous this may not be the best idea for you. You are treated in a clinic within sight and sound of alot of other people having treatment. There is little leeway with appointments and they take longer as everything needs to be to checked. Also there is no continuing care you are accepted for one course of treatment only and not all treatments are offered. You are better off developing a relationship with a dentist to sort your long term needs out.
From the website
"Information on how to get dental treatment by undergraduate students
Queen’s University Dental School is offering dental treatment for adults who require straightforward treatment as part of the School’s student dentist training programme.
Could I have treatment at the Dental School?
If you would like free dental treatment by students-in-training, you:
must be available during the day - appointments begin at 9am and 1.45pm in term times and are likely to take at least 1 hour
must be able to come to all your appointments. !If you are unable to come to an appointment, an alternative date may not be offered as students have a limited time to complete their treatments.
If you meet these criteria, you will be given an initial appointment for an examination. This will assess whether you can be treated by students.!It is not a consultation for treatment options.
If you are suitable you will have your treatment planned and will be allocated to a student. At the end of treatment, you will be discharged from the student clinic.
If your dental needs are not suitable for student treatment, you will be advised that you need to find a local dentist.
Types of treatments students can provide
You may be eligible if you require straightforward treatment such as:
!!!!!! routine fillings
!!!!!! simple gum treatment
!!!!!! root canal fillings
!!!!!! crowns
This service is not suitable if you need:
!!!!!! dentures
!!!!!! dental implants
!!!!!! tooth whitening
!!!!!! orthodontics
Is treatment by a student different?
Students work more slowly than a dentist so your appointment will take longer and you may need several appointments. However, all students' work is checked at relevant stages, so you can be sure that you are receiving a good standard of care.
How can I get an appointment?
If you meet our criteria above, you can request an assessment appointment and further information by contacting the appointments team,
By telephone on: !02890636394
By e-mail at: !dentalvolunteerscheme@qub.ac.uk
"
There is a waiting list for treatment.Unfortunately the dental schools future is in doubt due to a GDC report and small student numbers.

Teerah

Student numbers is not the issue, its staffing that is the problem. Such a shame, was rated as a top UK dental school when I was there. At the end of the day, like many other things, it comes down to a lack of adequate funding

brook2jack

I think the thought was with an average intake in the twenties per year it is uneconomic to provide teaching. Ironically as you said three years ago it was cited as the best teaching hospital for dentistry.

Dentistry is expensive to provide and the nhs still doesn't realise that.

montyrebel

my teeth would not be considered in the best of conditions and I would not go back to my old NHS dentist as she is a hypocrite (telling me not to drink fizzy drinks then comes into the shop I used to work in and buys 8 litres of coke :eek: herself )

so found myself at the school of dentistry and they were excellent, I couldnt fault them

Teerah

Intake is definitely in the forties and fifties per year with a high demand for places. That's up from the mid-thirties when I was there some 10-15 years ago. Its definitely a funding and staffing issue unfortunately.

brook2jack

Pity, however Liverpool were in the same situation a few years ago. It took a concerted campaign to keep it open when the powers that be wanted the money saved and diverted elsewhere in the university . It's not just the teaching of undergraduates but the whole referral,expertise,postgraduate programme that will go down the tubes.
But with the potential spectre of unemployed dentists and there being not enough foundation year training places available in the UK this year by quite a large margin we may be looking once again at dental school numbers being cut.