Dentists every six months?!

brook2jack

Azmataz wrote: »

My dentist told me to return for my next check in 2 years, unless I feel there's a problem before then. :eek: On the other hand, the same practice requires my OH to go every 6 months.

Precisely the check up interval should be tailored to how much treatment is needed. Someone who needs fillings or scaling regularly should be seen more regularly.

Most dental problems if caught early will not cause pain, most cannot be seen unless you know what you are looking for or take x Rays. Often if you wait until you get pain or symptoms from a tooth it is too late to do much about it.

Dental decay and gum disease are the worlds most prevalent diseases. But a dentist is an oral physician as well , over 200 diseases can be diagnosed from the tongue alone. Added to that research is increasingly showing oral health has effects on many other diseases from heart disease , auto immune disease , premature births etc . An unhealthy mouth has implications for the whole body.

The important thing is you must trust your dentist because you should be sure what they are advising is in the best interests of your oral health. If you do not trust them you should be seeking care elsewhere.

Peter333

brook2jack wrote: »

It is worth pointing out that a dentist gets paid the same amount for treatment whether a patient pays a charge or not. So for the poster who complained that their daughter only started having treatment once she was an adult, the dentist would have received the same money if they had done the treatment when your daughter was a child. The patient charge is deducted from the amount the nhs pays for treatment. So an adult pays £50.50 the nhs tops that up to roughly £63. A child has the same treatment the nhs pays the whole £63.

There is no financial advantage to waiting until a patient turns 19 at all.

I am afraid you are somewhat incorrect regarding this.

Yes, the dentist gets paid anyway, even if the person is paying themselves or not. However...

My wife's sister was a dental nurse for some years, and she worked with some decent dentists and some dodgy ones.

She told me that when someone was not paying (ie; if they were on JSA or if they were pregnant or the baby was up to a year old,, or they were under 19,) they were told by the powers that be in the NHS to keep the bills as low as possible, and not do any unnecessary work. In fact, if something can be 'left' til the patient has to pay, (ie if it's a person creeping towards 19, or a woman with a baby who is nearly one,) then leave it until then.

Many people (like women who got their treatment free throughout pregnancy and throughout the first year of of the baby's life,) rarely have lots of work done while it's free. Sometimes bits may be done, but nothing major, as the dentists were told that if any work that needed doing, could wait til the patient has to pay themselves, then leave the work til then.

In addition, if they see bits that need doing in a child of say 17, they will wait until they have to pay too, in order to stop it coming from the public purse.

A different friend of ours had a pretty unsightly chip on her front tooth, and the tooth looked a third smaller than the one next to it, and the dentist refused to do anything to it, all the time she was getting the treatment free. As soon as she started work, and was having to pay, the dentist offered to do it!

The fact that they are asked to keep the bill down while the patient is not paying, means that as soon as the patient starts having to pay, things will suddenly need doing, (because it's been left,) and sometimes, they suddenly start finding things to bump up their profits. It happens, trust me.

Of course it's a different matter with pensioners, as they will never have to pay, but if someone is at a stage where they will start paying soon, they will do as little as possible while they are getting it free; they are told to.

So this is probably one of the reasons why people suddenly find themselves having lots of work needing doing when they start having to pay, (when not much needed doing while the treatment was free.) My daughter's story was the tip of the iceberg: I know many people who have said the same. My neighbour said she had to have something done every time she went, even though everything always seemed fine. Then when she was off work for 2 years: nothing. Not a thing. Then as soon as she returned to work: BANG £200 dental bill.

In addition, this friend, and several others I know, believes their teeth would have been in better condition now if they had been left alone.

There are loads of stories like this.

I am not saying ALL dentists are unscrupulous, or that they all practice this 'waiting til you have to pay' shenanigans, but some of them certainly fit this demographic.

If I were the OP, I would look into this, and see if it is law that you have to go every 6 months. Maybe even put off your appointment several times, so it runs into a year. Maybe even ask at reception if you HAVE to go 6-monthly. Or ask your local PCT.

brook2jack

Peter333, a NHS dentist has a set number of UDAs to do each year. Most will not reach this quota. There has never been any edict from NHS not to do treatment on non paying patients. Indeed all treatment is statistically analysed by the NHS and if it looks as if you are doing no treatment on non paying individuals this will be investigated.

There is absolutely no advantage whatsoever to not doing treatment on non payers and waiting until they pay. Indeed doing so may mean you don't hit your uda target.

Many practices in inner city areas have very few people who pay for dental treatment, so if they did no treatment on non payers there would rapidly be trouble.

It could be argued that if you were dodgy doing lots of treatment on non paying patients , who don't have to pay would be the easy way to achieve your uda targets.

Peter333

Brook2jack, we are going to have to agree to differ. Because I know what I know.

Your experiences in the areas you live may be different.

But it doesn't make my views and experiences and statements any less valid.

Toothsmith

Peter333 wrote: »

My wife's sister was a dental nurse for some years, and she worked with some decent dentists and some dodgy ones.

She told me that when someone was not paying (ie; if they were on JSA or if they were pregnant or the baby was up to a year old,, or they were under 19,) they were told by the powers that be in the NHS to keep the bills as low as possible, and not do any unnecessary work. In fact, if something can be 'left' til the patient has to pay, (ie if it's a person creeping towards 19, or a woman with a baby who is nearly one,) then leave it until then.

So it's the dodgy NHS 'powers that be' that are the problem then - not the dentists?

Peter333 wrote: »

Many people (like women who got their treatment free throughout pregnancy and throughout the first year of of the baby's life,) rarely have lots of work done while it's free. Sometimes bits may be done, but nothing major, as the dentists were told that if any work that needed doing, could wait til the patient has to pay themselves, then leave the work til then.

In addition, if they see bits that need doing in a child of say 17, they will wait until they have to pay too, in order to stop it coming from the public purse.

Again - It's the NHS paymasters issuing the instructions then - and probably imposing sanctions on any dentists who don't 'tow the line'?

Peter333 wrote: »

The fact that they are asked to keep the bill down while the patient is not paying, means that as soon as the patient starts having to pay, things will suddenly need doing, (because it's been left,) and sometimes, they suddenly start finding things to bump up their profits. It happens, trust me.

Bump up the profits??

The dentists ARE paid the same whatever - it's just if the patient pays the NHS fees, the public purse is not asked for as much. So it makes no difference to the practices profits. Just the NHS budget.

And - as you have said - the reason 'it happens' (in your story - I'm not sure it does in reality) is because of NHS management edicts - not the dentist's choices.

Peter333 wrote: »

Of course it's a different matter with pensioners, as they will never have to pay,

I'm afraid this is rubbish - and shows you really don't know what you're talking about.

Pensioners DO pay NHS fees unless they have a low-income exemption - just like the rest of the population.

Peter333 wrote: »

I am not saying ALL dentists are unscrupulous, or that they all practice this 'waiting til you have to pay' shenanigans,

You haven't said ANY dentists are unscrupulous!! You've said NHS 'powers that be' are. And I would agree that in many areas they are. They try and claw back money from dental contracts for many dubious reasons. Adding to the stresses of the dentists who still try and operate within that system.

Peter333 wrote: »

If I were the OP, I would look into this, and see if it is law that you have to go every 6 months.

If it was the 'law' that you go every 6 months - then well over half the population would be criminals!!!

Of course it's not the law - and as Brook said quite early on in this thread, the recall interval for patients, both NHS and private should be based on what is appropriate for that individual patient. So some might be coming in every 3 months, others could go 12-18 months. (personally, would never advise anyone go as long as the 2 years which is sometimes given to low-risk patients on the NHS. Too much can go wrong in that sort of time.)

Peter333 wrote: »

Or ask your local PCT

PCTs haven't existed for a couple of years now. It's NHS local area teams now!

Do keep up!!

Toothsmith

Just found this rather appropriate story.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/17/breaking-a-tooth-mouth-cancer-diagnosis_n_6884180.html?ncid=webmail13

Note how the lady had 'seen her Dr' about the lesion a year before, and was told 'not to worry'!

jenhug

I go every 6 months as I take medication that causes dry mouth, and I also grind my teeth so have a gum shield. I only have 2 fillings, I really don't see the harm in paying £17 every 6 months, its better than needing dentures because I let them all rot.