What's happening with NHS dentists?

[Nix32]

If you're an NHS patient, are your dentists doing normal check ups yet? I don't understand why private dentists can do everything, but NHS seem to still be on emergency only appointments. I've been asked to call back in April.

We haven't been contacted to tell us to make a routine appointment

It must vary, I'm England and was contacted by dentist to book NHS check up at the end of Jan. I called the next day and they had appointments available within 2 weeks

Our dentist is running as normal, its NHS.

My NHS dentist is doing check ups (Cambridgeshire)

I phoned mine last week to check that I wouldn’t be removed from the list as I haven’t seen them in nearly 2 years due to covid. They booked me in for tomorrow which really surprised me!

Don't assume they'll get in touch! I rang today and booked appointments for the whole family plus an orthodontics appt for DD (which was cancelled last Spring). I thought they'd get in touch when they started doing normal appointments again but obviously that was an unrealistic expectation...

Ours said to call back in the new year, we had an appointment near the end of January.

We hadn't been contacted to say that normal appointments were resuming so I just rang them in January to say our check-up had been cancelled last August and when might we expect to be seen, and she just booked us in there and then. All very smooth and straightforward.

Our NHS dentist has cancelled every single appointment that I’ve made since October 2019. My children haven’t even seen since then. Obvs the first time wasn’t covid related but since then we’ve made (and had cancelled) 8 further appointments. Added to that they’ve lost 3 orthodontist emails AND letters for my eldest.

Starting to get seriously pissed off now. Last time I was told very patronisingly when I asked why we were being cancelled AGAIN “are you aware of the covid pandemic?”

Our NHS dentist is up and running and has been for a while. I rang last week to book a check up and I'm going in tomorrow and so is my son. I can't imagine having a tooth problem and not being able to access urgent care.
I was surprised to get appointment so quickly but the receptionist said that everyone thinks dentists aren't open so they're quiet. I'm SW England

I've been contacted today.

We weren't contacted but I called ours a couple of weeks ago to ask and the receptionist said the guidelines had changed that morning and she could book us in for a routine app't. All 4 of us went the following week (but the usual dentist for me & dc was off having had his covid jab so we were meant to rearrange but dh's dentist kindly squeezed us in instead).

I had a telephone check up with my NHS dentist, which was quite odd! Basically she asked if I was having any problems, then when I said everything seemed fine, gave me a lecture about oral hygiene and booked me in for six months time....

Interesting! I called back in October, was told to call again in January, and that was when I was told to call in April.

How is this ok?

Son's orthodontist appointments have been running as normal since the summer.

Our dentist contacted us in December to book our family NHS appointment. DH booked it for January, all 4 of us had check-ups.

Strangely I had a text today to call and book in my next appointment. I was on a 3 monthly check up schedule until we entered lockdown 1, where they postponed my April appointment until August.

We were due to have check ups last August- when I called to see if it was going ahead I was snapped at that they would contact me when they were able to book an appointment. I'm still waiting.

@Nix32 yes my eldest is under an orthodontist too and his appointments have been fine. Our family dentist is a large practice with at least 5 dentists. I appreciate that these are tricky times but my children haven’t been seen for well over 18 months now. We have yet another appointment next week and I’m bracing myself for this one being cancelled too.

I’ve also been snapped at, @LynetteScavo.

Ours isn't back to normal, I've been pretty disgusted with them to be honest. Went private and will be staying there as they were able to provide an excellent service from the start of lockdown.

I had a tooth out two weeks ago. While I was waiting in the waiting room I heard a receptionist phone a parent to see if the parent wanted to bring her children in for a check up. The parent must have said "and what about me?" as the receptionist said "we are only doing check ups for children at the moment. If you all want to come together you will have to wait a bit longer".

Not sure if this is the same everywhere or just my NHS dentist.

Teens had their NHS checkup in the Autumn and I’ve been seen privately.

Ours is moving all its NHS patients onto an payment plan scheme which means we will no longer be NHS patients.

We had a text this week & the kids are booked in for April. First time since before CV. Ds2 was lucky to see his orthodontist in early March, although they the closed at the end of August. He was eventually seen in mid December by the new practise.

MrsCrosbyNRTB I’m glad it’s not just my dentist that cancels! They cancelled every appointment in 2019 and when I tried to make an appointment last week, I was told we have all been deregistered! We’ve been going there for 20 years and no letter, nothing!

Mine (mix of NHS and private - my family see one of the NHS dentists) closed completely for months, it's now doing emergency appointments only (after phone triage) Facebook page says they'll contact patients when routine checkups are possible.