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NHS Dentist

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Hello. For years I have had problems with my teeth but I am deathly afraid of the dentist because my last experience, which was 12 years ago, I wasn't numbed correctly and thus impacted my life with dentists - never been since. I have a couple of bad teeth ... one being a rotting pre-molar that is giving me a lot of pain at the moment. Another factor that has lead me away from the dentist is the price - I literally cannot afford this.

Anyway, I have finally plucked up the courage to go a dentist, which is accepting new NHS patients, and my appointment is on Thursdays. My problem is that I am a little wary because I keep reading all the negatives about the NHS. This is my only option though. I would love to go private but I have no other choice. It is not like I squander all my money away of expensive luxuries either.

What I want to know is this. Is the NHS really THAT bad? If so, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place...

Comments

  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Dental care has improved so much in the past 12 years.

    Absolutely nothing wrong with NHS care, most dentists carry out NHS and private work anyway, they are not going to care for you any less if you just happen to be an NHS patient.

    Dont worry and well done for getting your teeth sorted. Remember its
    not just your mouth that suffers when you have bad teeth, it impacts on your general health too. As well as getting rid of the pain.

    We have 3 dentists on here, who will probably be along to give you a lot more assurance than I can about NHS care.

    You'll be fine.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • Thanks! I'm kind of looking forward to going because I just really want to know what needs doing so it can be done and dusted.

    As for the actual NHS ... I'm glad. I have been told that they are supposed to offer the same care/quality as private but obviously with the little amount of time allocated to patients and certain treatments, some of the quality might be lacking. What I don't understand is why some people who cannot afford private care should feel like they are getting less because they cannot afford it - for whatever reasons unknown. I'm not sure if this is the norm but it is what I have managed to understand from reading several comments/articles about this. Surely getting NHS dental is better than nothing, right?
  • nonnatus
    nonnatus Posts: 1,458 Forumite
    Hmm. Well I've just taken my children to our yearly "check-up" on the NHS. I have to attend this to ensure I don't get kicked out of the NHS scheme. Why do I get to go to the doctor ONLY when I have a problem but the dentist INSISTS on seeing me every year. A waste of both our time and MY MONEY.

    The kids were free and needed no work. My son is under the care of an NHS orthodontist at a different practice as the poor lad is having braces at the moment, which again is costing no money at all.

    I need a small filling so will have to return. The "check-up" cost me £17.50. I imagine the filling is going to cost quite a bit more - Which is bizarre. Doctors don't charge me for 5 minutes of their time! (and I was in the dentist's chair for LESS than 5 minutes) so how can a dentist do it?
    I had bllod and xrays taken by the doctor and didn't get charged, because I'm an NHS patient.

    If dentists stop wasting people's time by only seeing them when there was a problem, there'd be LOADS of appointments spare to help proper emergencies.

    Sorry to rant in your thread OP. Your visit will be fine, please don't worry. It's a check-up so no-one will be hurting you and to be fair, ALL dentists I've met have been gentle, re-assuring souls.
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,104 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Dentists charge because that's how NHS dentistry has been set up by the politicians, not the dentists.

    I'm sure you don't really believe that Drs see you 'free of charge' because they're kind altruistic people and don't earn a living doing what they do?

    As for 'wasting your time' going for check ups - I suppose you'd much prefer it if that small filling that was fixed very simply hit you as a raging toothache in a couple of years time, maybe the day before you were due to go on holiday, and was such a big problem then that it needed the tooth taken out?

    Its called 'preventative' medicine, and if the rest of medicine did it as well as dentistry, then it would mean that many problems could be found early and delt with far more simply than dealing with stuff when it became far more advanced.

    It wastes a lot less time in the long run.
    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.
  • welshdent
    welshdent Posts: 2,000 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    nonatus the number of people I have seen "with a problem" that have lost teeth that would have been saved had they attended "routinely" I could not count. I do not mean to sound patronising but you miss the point on all the issues.
    Firstly as toothsmith said, we do not control how much you pay. Its a system set up by politicians not dentists. In fact, dentists have no real influence on the terms of the contract that we work to or how much you pay. For whatever it is worth, you will pay approx £40 for the filling. As you have already paid £17 then you will just pay the difference.
    By seeing patients regularly according to their need we can spot disease before it becomes a major problem. What would you rather? A small filling now or an extraction "when it hurts"? Once decay takes hold it usually keep going until an intervention is undertaken. Gum disease, particularly periodontal disease does not normally hurt but the signs are usually clear for us to see and identify long before your teeth start getting loose to the point of falling out.
    Just because one does not see the need or believe we just see people to extract more money from peoples wallets does not mean we are a needless service.
    Incidentally, doctors services and dental services are set up completely differently by central government hence why you do not see a direct charge going to the doctor but believe me. You pay for it.
  • I've seen my nhs dentist and had very regular (every 12 weeks) hygenist appointments for most of my adult life so how is it that I am now facing losing an eye tooth? Being a front one I am forced to either have a denture or beg (!) my nhs dentist for a bridge on the nhs.

    I don't recall being warned that I would lose a tooth if I didn't do this or that. So what went wrong? Where was my preventative medicine?

    What more could I have done?
  • nonnatus wrote: »
    If dentists stop wasting people's time by only seeing them when there was a problem, there'd be LOADS of appointments spare to help proper emergencies.
    .

    I haven't read the rest of this thread because I just felt immediately compelled to ask 'are you completely bonkers?'

    Whilst I also have views on paying for Dental and Optical appointments, I am very grateful that I have access to these services and that I don't pay the full whack as i would privately - I'm also grateful to have check-up's that spot potential problems before they become real problems. Incidentally doctors also require seeing patients for check-ups and non-emergencies......so what on earth are you talking about :rotfl:


    Good luck and huge well done OP!
  • welshdent
    welshdent Posts: 2,000 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Samantha99 wrote: »
    I've seen my nhs dentist and had very regular (every 12 weeks) hygenist appointments for most of my adult life so how is it that I am now facing losing an eye tooth? Being a front one I am forced to either have a denture or beg (!) my nhs dentist for a bridge on the nhs.

    I don't recall being warned that I would lose a tooth if I didn't do this or that. So what went wrong? Where was my preventative medicine?

    What more could I have done?

    Sorry you are upset samantha however we can not comment on you individually as we can not see what the problem you have is. What I DO know is that my own patients have seen improvements in existing conditions and prevention of more severe problems due to my interventions .... I also have people that have ignored my advice and gone from bad to worse.
  • Very interesting replies.

    I can understand the need for compulsory, regular check-ups because if you just continue to ignore the small, minor twinges, they can slowly progress into something much more serious. Plus, how are we to diagnose our own dental health? Only a dentist would know what to look for. I know this, coming from me at least, may seem a little hypocritical but my own circumstances is the final kick in the teeth (pun totally intended).

    I also have no hesitations in paying the costs. If forking out £17 every six months for a check-up means not having to endure what I am currently going through, then it is money well spent, I'm my opinion.
  • I absolutely hate going to the dentist, this is due to my childhood dentist always smelling of cigarettes and whisky, I remember a particularly bad extraction of a healthy tooth due to overcrowding, there was a lot of tugging, the dentist swearing and lots and lots of blood :-(
    Now even though I have a lovely NHS dentist, I still dislike going. He is however an example of someone who has found his vocation in life, always explains treatments and is brilliant with my children and after visiting today I can eat cold things again. I think that £17.50 every 12 months for a thorough check up, scale polish and varnish application to prevent sensitivity is value for money
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