how do I find NHS dentist??

kmb500

I want to register with a dentist and have a check up.

I have looked on NHs website to find dentists. But none of them accept NHs patients... I have called now 20 different dentists and NONE of them take new patients, they all say I need to pay privately.

I just don't understand it. I pay my taxes for the NHS. And I'm being expected to pay for private healthcare if I want to have a regular dentist check up?

I don't mind paying £20 on the NHS. But paying £70 privately... for what is I'm guessing a 15 minute appointment.... no way.

How can I get NHS dentist treatment??

thanks!

[Deleted User]

That's very frustrating, and a shame that the NHS website no longer shows the information about dentists taking new NHS patients.

"If after contacting several dental surgeries you still cannot find a dentist accepting NHS patients, call NHS England's Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233."

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/

Undervalued

Sadly it seems to vary hugely from area to area.

The dentists that post on here regularly will tell you that it is almost impossible to run a viable dental practice just doing NHS work.

On the other hand I live in a city with sky high property prices and there are half a dozen NHS dentists within ten minutes walk of my house. Several are currently accepting new NHS patients.

By the way, in England and Wales there is no such thing as being registered with a NHS dentist. Any practice that sees you for a checkup is obliged to then complete any recommended course of treatment (however many visits that takes) but after that doesn't have to see you again!

That said, some choose to operate as if patients were "registered" and only see existing NHS patients, which they are free to do.

brook2jack

There are many parts of the country that have no NHS dentists who can take on new patients.
Each dentist has a limited amount of treatment they can do according to their contract , they are not allowed to do any extra , even if they have capacity.
Your choices are to widen the area over which you are willing to travel or pay privately, most will charge £40 ish for an existing patient check up , more for a new patient. Joining a plan such as practice plan, denplan essentials will for £12 to £15 a month ish give you two check ups, two hygiene a, x Rays , emergency treatment and 20% off treatment and may be an easier way to budget.

To put in into context around £32 a year including patient fees is paid for each person treated or seen on the NHS so your NI contribution is a few pennies a month at most.

The numbers of people seen on the NHS is dropping each year as is the funding .

Carrot007

kmb500 wrote: »

How can I get NHS dentist treatment??

Look further afield. Join a health scheme and get the private fewws refund. Many options.


OH and me asre in a scheme. I use hardly any of the allowacle on NHS and they use near all of it on private (2 checkups a year as usual).

kmb500

I eventually found one, I will try to register with them this week. Thanks for the information

Undervalued

kmb500 wrote: »

I eventually found one, I will try to register with them this week. Thanks for the information

As mentioned above, in England and Wales there is no such thing as being "registered" with an NHS dentist. If one agrees to see you for a checkup then they are obliged to offer to carry out any necessary treatment. Once that course of treatment is complete they are not obliged to see you again.

Binkie_Huckaback

Undervalued wrote: »

The dentists that post on here regularly will tell you that it is almost impossible to run a viable dental practice just doing NHS work.

On the other hand I live in a city with sky high property prices and there are half a dozen NHS dentists within ten minutes walk of my house. Several are currently accepting new NHS patients.

By the way, in England and Wales there is no such thing as being registered with a NHS dentist. Any practice that sees you for a checkup is obliged to then complete any recommended course of treatment (however many visits that takes) but after that doesn't have to see you again!

That said, some choose to operate as if patients were "registered" and only see existing NHS patients, which they are free to do.

My NHS dentist not only has me (us patients) registered, but it insists that we go regularly or lose our NHS places. The idea being, I presume, to catch small problems before they become large (and more expensive!) ones.

A private dentist will have their reasons for having whatever views they have on NHS dentistry (mainly financial related, I would think)

But to answer the OP question, I'd say look for either a new (as in newly opened) surgery or a surgery with a new dentist, as these are more likely to be taking on NHS patients.

You may also find that DenPlan, which most dentists take, is not that pricey, though I haven't tried it myself.