Dental Insurance

CharmCaster

Hi,

I'd be really grateful if someone could point me in the right direction for a dental insurance plan, which is something I haven't had before.

Basically, our dentist went bankrupt and upped sticks and left without a moments notice, since then my children have been on the waiting list for another NHS dentist but, we're advised that there are no places and none for the forseeable future. I can't allow this situation to continue as my children (aged 6 & 8) obviously need a dentist, my son having lost three milk teeth since his last check up a year ago.

Therefore, any advice with regards to putting a plan in place with a reputable company for them would be great.

TIA

Meadows

There is next to nothing where we live that is NHS and so we are private.

When we moved here my daughter and I went to the local dentist and pay as we go, due to my husband's job and working away from home it was some years later that he joined the same practice only to find the dentist will now not take on new patients without being part of DenPlan where he had to have an assessment on his first check up and then was sent his monthly fee via DenPlan.
He pays £16.80 a month :eek: just for the pleasure but also gets quarterly check ups and hygienist plus all his x-rays etc. are included.

CharmCaster

Meadows wrote: »

There is next to nothing where we live that is NHS and so we are private.

When we moved here my daughter and I went to the local dentist and pay as we go, due to my husband's job and working away from home it was some years later that he joined the same practice only to find the dentist will now not take on new patients without being part of DenPlan where he had to have an assessment on his first check up and then was sent his monthly fee via DenPlan.
He pays £16.80 a month :eek: just for the pleasure but also gets quarterly check ups and hygienist plus all his x-rays etc. are included.

Hi Meadows,

You're not in Cornwall are you? It's nothing short of deplorable, and something that I feel pretty sore about, I thought they had a duty of care when it came to children.....they're not slow to claim NI contributions though.

I recently gave birth to my third child, therefore my years free dental care went by the wayside also.

Like most people money is an issue for us so am not sure how paying as we go would work out and, if we do take out a plan, I'm thinking it'll just have to be for the children.

Meadows

CharmCaster wrote: »

Hi Meadows,
You're not in Cornwall are you? It's nothing short of deplorable, and something that I feel pretty sore about, I thought they had a duty of care when it came to children.....they're not slow to claim NI contributions though.
I recently gave birth to my third child, therefore my years free dental care went by the wayside also.
Like most people money is an issue for us so am not sure how paying as we go would work out and, if we do take out a plan, I'm thinking it'll just have to be for the children.

We are SW and a bit above Cornwall (few counties away) and I think the one NHS that is near us has such a bad rep that even if you could get in would you really want to
Why not chat to some local dentists, see what they offer, what their prices are and ask around for peoples opinion on them.

CharmCaster

I'll do that, thank you.

The maddening thing is that the dentist who has since bought the practice asked to take on the NHS Patient list but they (the PCT) won't allow it. Have been on to our MP who is as much use as might be expected and just can't wait any longer.

jugglebug

CharmCaster wrote: »

I'll do that, thank you.

The maddening thing is that the dentist who has since bought the practice asked to take on the NHS Patient list but they (the PCT) won't allow it. Have been on to our MP who is as much use as might be expected and just can't wait any longer.

Such are the many pleasures of contracting with the NHS
I recently have bought a partnership within my practice.
Ever since qualification I have been providing NHS care in varying proportions, ranging from 100% NHS to 90% private depending on where I worked. Although never have I not been providing at least some NHS dentistry.
The hoops I had to jump through to change my status from "performer" to "provider" were amazing.
As an associate the PCT were fine with me treating people in March, but to get the list transferred over in April I had to present myself for interview, bringing with me my Birth Certificate, Professional registration, Degree certificate (guess what, you don't get registered without the degree so why I needed both is beyond me. It hasn't been out of its frame in 15 years) Driving licence, 3 forms of ID and laughably all the details required to get CRB checked. (Remember I was already treating these patients after being CRB'd in the past. Dentistry is a notifiable profession so if anything would show up on a CRB it is likely the General dental council would already be taking steps against us).
Every time a NHS practice is sold, even to people within the practice the PCT have the right to move the NHS contract away. You as the patient are not registered to the dentist, the practice or anyone at all. You have no choice at all if the PCT decides to shift the provision of care elsewhere. All you can do is go private.
Which leads us to the bizarre situation where long established popular practices can be destroyed overnight by a 3rd party who has no investment in the practice and no ownership of the practice with just a swipe of a pen.
Patients being the ones who suffer the most.

CharmCaster

It is really infuriating, isn't it? The really stupid thing being that the dentist who has bought the practice was the one who sold it originally to the dentist who subsequently went bankrupt. When he sold it, the NHS patient list (which he had, at the time) was transferred seamlessly to the new owner but, now he's back, they won't let him have it.

Seemingly, it has to go out for procurement in the interests of 'fairness', the fact that it's the only practice for miles around doesn't seem to enter into the equation. We must have more dentists floating about than could ever be guessed at though as it's been a year now and the tenders must be still flooding in since it's still not been awarded to anyone.

I never thought I'd consider this country third world but, leaving children without essential services would indicate that it is getting that way, in this region anyway.

jugglebug

I don't think anyone on the clinical side of NHS dentistry thinks the current system is fit for purpose. Pre 2006 the PCT's had no say in it at all. The government of the time dumped it on them in the name of local commissioning. This means that people with zero experience in dentistry were now responsible for it. Recipe for success!! :rotfl:
And to show just how successful it was there are a whole raft of new pilots being run to see how to change the system all over again.
I wouldn't hold your breath for it to suddenly all get better though.
The truth of the matter is that to provide a full comprehensive dental service to everyone would cost far more than any politician will ever spend. The 2006 contract was primarily designed to cap the budget.
However the Department of Health is content to spin the issue so it looks like you have a bunch of greedy dentists refusing to do NHS work. Yet you have a chap willing to do it but being prevented to do so. Local PCTs are having to find savings iin their budgets same as all other government bodies... Coincidence?


http://www.nhsdentistrythebiglie.co.uk/

Toothsmith

And to throw another thing into the mix - PCTs are being abolished this April, so yet another untried management layer will take over the running of NHS dental funding.