Finding a good dentist in London

popalock

starting a new thread on London dentists

I've been on a mission on finding a dentist in London (my family dentist outside of London recently retired and his replacement isn't great).

Below are my findings on getting good dental help:

1 - obviously ask family & friends, but make sure they can give a glowing recommendation, otherwise carry on looking

2 - use the NHS website directory of dentists. You can search for dentists listing those closest to your postcode. What's good about the NHS site is that users can leave feedback for the dental practice. Read through the reviews and make an informed decision. Just watch out for fake reviews (they tend to just have comments like "really friendly staff" etc..). It summarizes the practice with a number of those recommending (eg 5 out of 7 reviewers recommend this practice)

3 - if you're looking to save money, then Guy's Hospital has a scheme where you get 100% free dental care. The catch is that your dentist is a student (under & post grads) although a supervisor will make sure everything is done properly.

4 - if you're in pain and want emergency/immediate help then you'll have to dial your local emergency dental number (who will direct you to nearest & next available emergency appointment) OR go to Guy's Hospital 23rd floor which has an emergency dental drop-in centre. With Guy's just make sure you get there early: they have a limited number of patients they can accept each day, and if they have filled their quota they will turn you away. Again it's student/supervisor type of care


any other suggestions? please let me know!

j.e.j.

popalock wrote: »

any other suggestions? please let me know!

pop over to the God-dentist thread :rotfl:

welshdent

I would be very wary of the comments from other patients. Firstly as you allude to there is no way to validate the authenticity of the comments. Also I have come across technically superb dentists but for whatever reason, patients do not take to them. On the flip side I have come across very technically poor, verging on and surpassing in some cases, incompetent dentists. However their patients think they are amazing.

I shall give you an outline of a situation.
Man phones up demanding an appointment for his fiancee that day. Otherhalf has broken a tooth and is a beautician and "cant possibly go to work looking like she does". She has never been to the practice, he has not been to the practice for what would be at the very least 12 years. This is known because their card is not even in the up to 12 years no attendance storage space. Man is politely informed that sorry the practice is no longer accepting NHS patients at the present time and as the partner has never been they are not able to be seen. No pain is reported and the number to the local LHB is offered. Man gets irate, aggressive on the phone. States "so you are telling me that even though I was born in this country you refuse to see me" .... pointed out that he was asking for an appointment for his partner not him ... but none the less has it explained that the practice is still full. Receptionist then told "look love do it now because mark my words I am going to get what I want". Same message reaffirmed. Threats to call the local newspaper and then a demand to complain. LHB number given. Different story to them. They call back and agree that the access clinic is the best direction.

Despite no dentist seeing the patient. Despite no capacity at the practice, no matter HOW well cared for the regular patients are ... do you think he would leave a positive review?? Even though no one had done anything wrong.

j.e.j.

The well cared-for patients could all give positive glowing reviews though, couldn't they
People reading an online review aren't necessarily going to be swayed by a lone aggro bloke who slates the surgery. People reading ANY internet reviews can use their common sense.

welshdent

hope so!

Sharon87

I just went to my nearest one, avoiding the one my housemate had trouble at. Luckily for me it was a good dentist! You only really know good dentists when you go there, unless they have a really bad reputation

sophlowe45

i thought i knew i really good dentist in london, he is expensive and used to be my dentist.

but now thinking perhaps his manner was good rather his technical skills as i only went for checkups, nothing wrong, straight to a 45 minute appointment with the hygienist.

friendly receptionist, lovely premises and i have since recommended this dentist to many people based on his social skills. maybe i should stop recommending him for regular and cosmetic dentistry to people as he has never done anything to my teeth? what do people think?

to the original poster, a friend of mine has been with the same dentist since she was a child, he was nhs but he has gone private in the past few years. if you want his details can pass them on? too expensive for me and far away from central london but i trust my friend as her and her family have been with him for so long.

get an healthcare cashback plan.

im back to a local nhs dentist and they seem ok, but nothing amazing. all very young dentists who dont know where things are and it feels like the dental nurses know more than the dentists as the dentists ask them questions throughout the appointment.

i felt like it was her first time doing a scale and polish, they dont seem interested in recommending you see the hygienist (you pay for it of course unless you really need it, i dont mean i want it for free), but the expensive dentist recommended i see the hygienist at least once every 6 months, i always had white teeth when i regularly went to an hygienist that lasted many months. which is why i thought that dental practise was so great.

they also made it seem like getting your wisdom out was simple and you could get it done ASAP, with the nhs one dentist said we cant refer you, nhs guidelines have changed, a year later a different dentist has referred me to the hospital.

my conclusion seems to be you get what you pay for.

private one also said my wisdom teeth are close to my nerves so that may cause problems.

nhs xrays when the dentist checked them she said they were not clear so she could not tell me if they were close to my nerves and wait for the hospital to check it. dont know why private xrays were clear but nhs ones were not clear.

suki1964

Pretty certain guys don't offer dentistry as per se. I think ( iirc) they will treat you in an emergency if you show up within a certain time frame - but it will be basic dentistry - a tooth pulled - a filling etc