Can’t find NHS dental treatment for my son

Savvy_Sue

BungalowBel said:

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.

Just to say that we are on a much cheaper DenPlan plan, just under £20 pm for 2 checkups, 2 visits to hygienist, and a discount on any treatment needed. 

I gave up on NHS dentist when he had four of us in and out of the surgery for a checkup in under 20 minutes ...

baser999

Ironically I had a text a while back saying my check-up was due. I subsequently went back today for a filling, total for the two visits and treatment on the NHS £70. The practice still have NHS patients on their books however advise that if you miss an appointment they would in future treat you as private and charge accordingly.

sammyjammy

I recall having an appt at my dentist shortly after they were allowed to reopen post first COVID lockdown.  She was telling me thay they get fined if they don't see the required number of patients in a period, even when they were mandatorily shut by the government they still received the fines for not seeing anyone, thats what a crock of **** the whole thing is, I can't blame them for going private, its like the government want steak for cheap mince prices, disgusting.  Its especially awful for children.

lincroft1710

pinkshoes said:

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?!

Dentists have probably had more non NHS than NHS patients for a long time. Most people aren't going to risk their dental health in the expectation that in several years' time their dentist may be forced to go NHS. In any case the NHS is so broke it couldn't afford a massive payout for the UK's dental treatment.

silvercar

lincroft1710 said:

pinkshoes said:

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?!

Dentists have probably had more non NHS than NHS patients for a long time. 

Very true, but in the past they would mix NHS and private, then there was a stage when a lot of dentists would treat adults privately only but offer NHS to children and those entitled to free NHS care eg pregnant women. Now it seems that more and more they are moving to do private work only.

Longwalker

Im not sure in NHS dentistry is the same in the UK as it here in NI. Here you dont actually have a NHS dentist, you have one for that one particular course of treatment, once thats done, unless you book and attend a yearly check up - you are no longer that dentist patient, so for us, its possible to ring one week and get told no NHS, and ring 2 weeks later and get offered an appointment 

Not much use to you unless that is the same system there

NHS England offer this advice 

how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist

pinkshoes

silvercar said:

lincroft1710 said:

pinkshoes said:

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?!

Dentists have probably had more non NHS than NHS patients for a long time. 

Very true, but in the past they would mix NHS and private, then there was a stage when a lot of dentists would treat adults privately only but offer NHS to children and those entitled to free NHS care eg pregnant women. Now it seems that more and more they are moving to do private work only.

Our dentist has certainly moved towards the private sector! There are only a couple of days a week they seem to do NHS appointments now, and we constantly keep getting them cancelled!

My 7 year old has really bad tooth decay on some of his teeth (his molars and incisors came through with virtually no enamel) so he NEEDS to see a dentist every 3 months to get them checked and some paste put on. The molars will probably need extracting long before they fall out. He has just had his appointment this week cancelled, but they have no more appointments to book him into unless I'm willing to pay privately. 

pickledonionspaceraider

It is the same here - im in a large city - and there are no NHS Dentists at all, i have given up on NHS dentistry and go private - and can barely afford that 

Gloucester - I have a relative who lives here and they have been in the same boat - no NHS dentistry despite calling everyone in a 50 miles radius