Dentist appointments

[Feministschool]

Our family had a dentist appointment booked for August, which was understandably postponed until October.

I've just received a message saying this appointment has been cancelled and they're only dealing with emergencies.

I'm not bothered about myself or DD5 but DD8 has been waiting on a periodontal referral for almost a year and has some build-up as a result (not her/our fault).

She will become an emergency case if left long enough. It's very short sighted.

Are NHS check ups happening in other areas and are we just unlucky? Is it worth investigating changing surgery?

[AriettyHomily]

We got cancelled in April and still haven't been rescheduled.

Both are due an ortho consult too and they're not seeing anyone routine

I am private at their NHS dentist and can't book either.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

In July I was offered an appointment for November. This was as a private patient in an NHS practice. I had a badly broken tooth and a loose crown. I went to a wholly private dentist and am still having to deal with the ramifications.

[Feministschool]

So has literally nobody had an NHS check up since lockdown began?

[OnCandyStripeLegs]

DH & me had appointments in March that were cancelled- and they won't let us even try to make another appointment until the new year.
However the DC had an appointment in August and have one booked for February.

[slipperywhensparticus]

I'm having teeth removed they might have been saved 7 months ago im taking antibiotics my third lot and I'm hoping to get them removed next week boris depending

[GaraMedouar]

Us no - kids were due Easter and I phoned to check around a month ago - only an answerphone message saying only emergencies. I couldn’t even speak to a real person. I’m waiting to be phoned up to call us for a checkup. Luckily none of us have any emergencies at the mo.

[Pachonga]

What are dentists actually doing all day then?

[slalomsuki]

My appointment was 23rd March and was cancelled and has never been rearranged. I've now done 7 months with no crown in my tooth and bits breaking off. Dentist claimed it was recoverable and doesn't want to take it out but in all honesty I think that's where I'm headed. There an exposed nerve which is clearly dying as it's not as sensitive as it was 3 months ago.

[Feministschool]

@Pachonga

What are dentists actually doing all day then?

Private work? Or not doing that either? Don't they get money from the government for NHS work? Has that dried up completely?

[BillywilliamV]

They are seeing one patient every half hour because they have to disinfect themselves between.
Its a bloody joke, I was still paying NI last time I checked.

[MiniMum97]

It's a real mix across the country and dental practices. I have two dentists. One is off renting check ups and hygienist appts as normal and has been since July/August. The other has only just started very limited hygienist appts abs are currently refusing to release November appts as cases are increasing and no check ups at all being booked yet.

Crazy. If one dentist can operate (obviously with PPE and precautions) not sure why the others can't.

Perhaps ring around other practices.

[OnCandyStripeLegs]

Our receptionist said In August that they had cancelled half of their appointments to allow for cleaning in between. However she wouldn't book me and DH in at the same time as the kids even though 1. No extra cleaning or space in waiting room and 2. Each child had a 15 minute appointment time and was out in 5!

[Enrico]

I've gone private because well, honestly, fuck this shit. No NHS treatment here at all barring extractions if you're in agony.

[InTheVelvetDarkness]

Emergency only at our NHS dentist
Last time my DC were seen was Dec last year , their check ups were due may 2020 but obviously these never happened.

[foilflower]

There have been no routine check ups here at all since March, it’s emergency treatment only.

One of my children has a condition that requires regular checks and preventative treatment every six months and they have now missed two of these routine appointments. I’ve been told that routine appointments won’t be starting again this side of Christmas.

[bubblebubblebubbletrouble]

I went this week for a standard check-up.
The practice manager said they were re-scheduling as much as they could. They have to wipe down before and after each appt.

[HironsBirons]

I’ve got a routine nhs check up today. My surgery seems to be going back to some sort of normality.

[doctorhamster]

Our April appointments for a check up were cancelled. They've rebooked them for July next year

Our other problem is that the orthodontist has closed their waiting list because they have a back log. The list was 18 months long to start with so fuck knows when dd will actually be able to start the orthodontic treatment she badly needs.

[IsThisNameTaken]

I had routine NHS check up last week.
DC's both booked in for half term.

[Punxsutawney]

Our dentist seems to be even avoiding emergencies and are definitely not doing routine NHS appointments. They refused to clean Ds's teeth in August as he was having his brace fitted. We managed to find another local dentist whose hygienist was happy to do it instead.

Orthodontist has been seeing Ds since get brace fitting in August ( should have been fitted in April). It's always empty in there though, so they must be seeing a lot less patients.

[willowywillow]

Now, this may sound weird but regarding plaque build up I have found coconut oil to be amazing. I noticed a small bit of calculus between my front teeth. Could not remove it with flossing or brushing. I had read coconut oil can destroy biofilms so I rubbed some coconut oil over it and left it to soak about 15 minutes. Well after that it very easily scraped away with a toothpick. I didn't even have to scraped really, it sort of just nudged away. It wasn't gritty either but seemed to have softened.

[willowywillow]

Oh and I think, as with lots of services, there is just a massive backlog of work. They need to clean more between appointments too. So everything takes longer.

[Sanch1]

Myself and my children has a check up a couple of weeks ago. They arent using any aspirating equipment so my usual tartar build up was cleaned by just scraping, not a pleasant experience, and got nowhere near all of it out but was better. The dentist wasnt shouting about it though, the receptionist mentioned it when I phoned to change our address.

[Horsemad]

@willowywillow re coconut oil I remember reading on (I think!) MN about 'oil pulling' which, as far as I can gather, is some form of swishing coconut oil round your mouth and it's meant to prevent plaque build up.

I asked my dentist who looked at me like this 🤨 and said they'd never heard of it! 😆

I've never tried but often wondered...

[willowywillow]

Horsemad, yes, I've read about that but was out off because on the precautions was something about oil accidentally getting on the lungs if you choke on it. Hence my rub over method. I have also noticed Arm & Hammer have started putting coconut oil in one of their toothpastes so I think there is definitely something in it.