Can’t find NHS dental treatment for my son

jamted

My 15yr son is about to begin orthodontic treat. The orthodontist has said he needs 4 teeth removed first. Our current dentist has told us they now have no NHS dentists and will now be going all private. They quote £480 to remove the 4 teeth required. 

We have phoned loads of local dentists who have all told us the we won’t find a dentist taking on NHS patients in North Somerset. I looked on the Choices website and the nearest was over 100 miles away apparently. 

Some friends said to try Bristol dental hospital, but our orthodontist said they won’t help unless it’s an emergency. 

I can’t believe we will now have to pay for this necessary surgery when he is a child. It also now means we will have to pay for checkups for all 3 of our children. 

What is the country coming to when we can’t get our children’s treatments done for free though the NHS?

Any advice would be appreciated. 

strawb_shortcake

Can't the orthodontist refer to Bristol dental hospital? Our dentist referred my Daughter for treatment.

The NHS website usually lists what dentists are taking on new patients, whilst many aren't taking adults some are taking children on. 

Filter by taking on under 17's

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist/results/Bristol?Location=Bristol&Latitude=51.45313590063877&Longitude=-2.6009816829313133&DentistAcceptingChild=true

HillStreetBlues

If the orthodontic doesn't want to remove the teeth  then ask them to refer them to someone who can, like as annabanana82
says the BDH.

jamted

annabanana82 said:

Can't the orthodontist refer to Bristol dental hospital? Our dentist referred my Daughter for treatment.

The NHS website usually lists what dentists are taking on new patients, whilst many aren't taking adults some are taking children on. 

Filter by taking on under 17's

Thanks for advice. Our Orthodontist said they won’t refer him to Bristol Dental Hospital because they have said that the hospital are now only accepting emergencies and would only turn us down after a long wait. Other dentists have all said the same too about the dental hospital. 

Thanks for the NHS link. The under 17 filter is useful. I will make some calls tomorrow. 

strawb_shortcake

We had a long wait, oddly enough it was my Son's orthodontist that gave me the number to hurry up my Daughter's appointment. 

I do know someone that had to go from Bristol to Reading to have a tooth removal for a 4 year old, I had assumed it was down to their age but maybe it is just how things are now?

But good luck!

silvercar

Is the orthodontic work being carried out on the NHS?

onomatopoeia99

It's the same in South Gloucestershire if my local facebook group is anything to go by, posts from people moving into the area that can't find an NHS dentist for their children as there aren't any taking new patients.

The problem, according to a private dentist I know, is the way NHS dentistry is funded by central government and the contracts dentists doing NHS work are required to accept, which results in almost all of them doing the minimum they are obliged to after they have qualified, then going 100% private.

silvercar

10 years from now we will be saying the same about GPs.

pinkshoes

If the nearest was over 100 miles away then I'd book it and make the journey and book an overnight Travelodge if necessary. Much cheaper than the £480!

NHS dentistry is a mess. The majority of dentistry places taken at university are by private school students or families that can afford the £500+ course that you need to do in order to get through the aptitude tests before you can apply. These students then graduate, work for the NHS for a bit, then go private as there is far more money in it. 

Perhaps people should stop trying to find money for a private dentist, put them out of business, then make them go back to the NHS?!

Durban

It is a terrible state of affairs now 
It is the same in East Anglia 
Our dentist took all the NHS patients off their books 
its to do with the government contracts apparently 
We’ve just had to find close to £900 for private treatment for my partner 
Write to your MP 
It is unacceptable, we pay loads in NI and tax and get less and less

BungalowBel

My dentist went private about twenty years ago, but even then he was saying that the re-imbursement from the NHS is totally inadequate, getting the same for several fillings as for one.

We are with Denplan, it costs about £90 pcm to cover myself, my husband, our son and his partner.  We can have two checkups and scale and polishes a year, and any treatment needed.  The only extra we have to pay is if any laboratory work is needed (e.g. for dentures).  The price charged for Denplan depends upon the state of your teeth - your dentist will do an assessment and tell you what it will be.