Dentist - NHS or private?

[popapoppadum]

Reading this morning about the lack of NHS provision for dental treatment. I'm interested to see how many people are already going private and what your experience has been compared to NHS.

Most NHS Dentists are the same clinics as the private?

I was registered NHS with a clinic but they ended up removing me from the NHS with them as I hadn’t visited them in three years, and there was so much demand to be registered NHS that they removed everyone who hadn’t visited them in ages.

I ended up seeing them privately and paying £60 as they weren’t taking on new NHS patients, and I rang many other clinics first but they also weren’t taking NHS patients.

Bit of an odd phrasing - you make it sound as though "already going private" is a choice.

I have been private for the last decade, because I would have been completely unable to access dental care otherwise. I was totally unsurprised to see that 98% of dentists in Yorkshire & Number aren't taking any NHS patients, because it's been like that for years.

There are essentially 3 groups of people:

• the lucky minority who can access NHS dentists
• those who can't, but can't afford private And therefore dont access dental care
• the who can't, but are lucky enough to be able to afford private.

And the private treatment is no different or better, as far as I can tell. Just much more expensive.

I use a NHS dentist. I've used private in the past.... there's literally no difference just the price!

^ Yorkshire & Humber

We've recently moved area and no practice that I can find is offering NHS places for us or our children (I've tried the NHS website and directly contacting over 20 practices). I'm pregnant so entitled to free NHS dentistry. Don't really know what to do now, can't get through to the NHS phone line so I guess we'll end up going private. Don't mind so much for us but annoyed that there's no provision for the kids.

I’m private, most significant difference is that I get to actually see a dentist. I absolutely love my surgery, I’ve got a phobia about having people touch my mouth and they are kind and patient and give me extra time to have procedures done. My surgery don’t do any nhs work.

Unable to get NHS, so going private with denplan £50 a month for the 2 of us. Covers pretty much everything except lab costs if need a crown etc.

I’m in another country so have to pay for everything dental, but I think it’s very sad that people leave there teeth go because they can’t afford to pay for treatment.

Other people in every other country pay for their dental care. teeth are so important. Like far more important than hair dressers and nails etc. (to me anyway) so if I was in the uk I would just accept that it’s no longer free anymore and pay for it and wouldn’t wait.

I’m registered as an NHS patient as have been at the same surgery since 1995!!

so check ups are NHS but i pay private fee for fillings etc. all done by same denist.
when i had a root canal that was done nhs but the crown i paid for.

I have recently paid for dental treatment
I'm not well off by any means but it was definitely worth it
I had previously had 3 nhs appointments cancelled
And when I had called to try to rebook it was going to be October before an appointment was available

I am private but have to cutback on other things to be able to afford it

I felt there was a difference in treatment/attitude

It’s the same dentist but there is different treatment you can get privately that’s not available on the NHS. Eg ceramic crowns.

We moved areas last year and were able to register DDs on NHS but DP and I only privately at same surgery. Some weren't taking anyone, even privately.

I'm really glad this is in the news as it might get DM off my back. She clearly thinks we are being flashy and wasteful paying for private dental and should have tried harder to get registered. I did try, not just our immediate town, the whole region and even next nearest large city that we visit regularly. None to be found taking adults as NHS patients.

There are people in the UK who can’t afford hair and nails though. On my local news there was a charity travelling around giving free emergency care, the number of people who turned up far outstripped the number of people they could see, all these people were in pain and without access to dental care, it was heartbreaking. Some of them had resorted to pulling their own teeth in the past.

I was unable to find an NHS dentist who had space when I moved , ended up with a purely private dentist and now wouldn't change back
Pay £11.25 a month - get 2 check ups and 2 hygiene visits a year for that , 20% off cost of any treatment and got 40% off whitening treatment I had .
Easy to get an appt , plenty of parking , pleasant staff , never been seen late , dentist knows my name and as a mature adult .. my clean and polish does not compare to anything I had previously- a much better service and I accept paying as an NHS patient is only slightly cheaper- if you can find one who will take you on

I ended up going private as I couldn’t get an NHS dentist after moving to a different area. My gran hasn’t had an appointment at her dentist for 2 years.

i was quite surprised at the difference though- they photographed my teeth to compare later down the line and had equipment that meant they could show me on a big screen what they were talking about on each of my teeth. The appointment was £20 more than the NHS and I think I will stick with it even if an NHS spot opens.

I agree but do pick up here that people don’t think they should have to pay for dentists and doctors in the UK, so put off going or wait too long for appointments and put up with bad service, just so they can get these ‘free’ NHS services.

In other countries, everyone just has to pay. Like they pay for their shopping etc.

I am nhs as are my children. The service I find is much more basic than privately. I need an extraction and a cyst removed but my dentist is not qualified to do this so I have been referred to a private specialist dentist however he will do it on the NHS as my debtisy can't provide the treatment I need.

BUT there is a 20+ weeks wait for this to be done under the NHS however if I had a spare £1004.47 the dentist I have been referred to could do it tomorrow!!

I go private because I couldn't get an NHS dentist . I notice absolute zero difference in venue or treatment except obviously I pay for it .
It's not as expensive as you might think . £60 check up , £67 hygienist and £196 filling .

My plan is £20 a month, which gives two check ups and two hygienist visits a year and 10% of treatment.

I need implants and three new crowns. Last year I spent £1600. The cost of the treatment I should have now is a minimum of £6000. It’s just not going to happen.

I recently paid £110 privately for an extraction which would have cost me £65.20 on the NHS. I felt it was worth it although I had to make reductions elsewhere to be able to pay for it, although I do appreciate that I am lucky to be able to do that.

I had the check up on the Saturday and the tooth removed on the following Wednesday

Private, I have denplan so pay about £17pm