What do you do if there are no NHS dentists?

[CakeCrumbs44]

Evening all
This may be a stupid question but none of the NHS dentists in my area are taking on new patients. What do I do? I need a dentist for myself and my two kids, just for regular check ups. If we go private, do I have to have some sort of dental insurance or do you just pay as you go?

@Violinist64 are you in Scotland?

I just had this problem.. I called every dentist I could find. Finally called 101. Didnt help but said keep trying. I then changed tact and called around again and said 'I was advised to call by 101'. The actual first dentist I tried offered me an appointment. So I suggest trying that.

Hi. We live on the south coast. It is a reasonable expensive area to live so don't think it is that. Lucky i guess. Hygienist is extra; which is £60 for 30 mins

Sorry forgot to quote. Was replying to @Rubyupbeat

Ah ok didn't realise it is different if in Scotland x

I’m in England.

I hadn’t been to my dentist for a while so couldn’t get a routine appointment as there is a 4 week waiting list but did get an emergency appointment.
Paid 23£ for wisdom tooth removal, had to go back the following day as the original pain had not gone-had checkup for no cost but the dentist couldn’t see any problem so said just take painkillers.
My face is now swollen and I’ve been advised by a pharmacist to see a doctor for antibiotics as the dentist said they weren’t necessary.
I’d rather have paid £££ to be fixed than in this pain, but guess I was lucky to be even seen, even if not very effectively!

Lat two move have involved writing or phoning. e-mail every dentist in the area - last time there were no NHS ones at all but we did find one that took kids on as NHS and had a dental plan scheme - that was pre-covid.

Since covid most of my relatives in different bits of UK have had their dentists go private and are now on similar monthly payment plans - which cover most things but not all.

I use Simply Dental which is fairly cheap and my private dentist sees the children for free check ups which helps. Best to get insurance before teeth get worse as it may not cover pre existing problems.

I moved house (175 miles) in late 2019, then the pandemic struck, then the shortage of NHS dentists.
I've just given up waiting for NHS locally & gone private (I just get state pension.) I went for a check up which was £65, plus X Rays so the total was £103. Went for a clean a few days afterwards, £103 again. Honestly? Money well spent. I was in the chair for AGES & my stained teeth are now like little pearls!

I love my new dentist! :-)

I just pay as and when. It's £40 for a check for me, £25 for the kids in London (but not a nice bit!) . No chance tomorrow morning an NHS dentist here but worth shopping around as private dentist prices seem to vay enormously

What are all the people who are on benefits / maternity exemption etc who get free NHS dental treatment doing?

Presumably without an NHS place you can't get free treatment so are the government expecting people on the poverty line and in receipt of their benefits to pay for full private treatment??

Yup! As you probably already know, the goverment don't give a shit and are happy to put the blame with the dentists! If an emergency you can call 111, but they don't do check ups and only deal with one tooth at a time.

In England, there is no registration with a NHS dentist. This was removed in 2005 or 6. Can't remember.

Once you have a check up and get a treatment plan, that dentist is your dentist for 3 months (in 99% of cases). After that, they have no responsibility for you.

This is how the Labour government made more NHS dentists available. It also made providing NHS dentistry financial suicide because every new patient could need 15 fillings for which the dentist would get paid the same as for 1 filling.

So, you aren't registered even if you think you are. It's not the same as GPs. This is why it doesn't matter if you see a dentist 100miles from your address.

You’re wrong MrsMorton as NHS England consider every patient to be an active patient unless they haven’t been for 2 years and are therefore lapsed. So even if you’ve finished a treatment plan NHS England still consider that patient to be an active patient of the practice

"Patient registration in the 2006 contract also ceased to exist, along with the contractual responsibility for NHS GDPs to provide emergency care for their patients. Instead, this responsibility was devolved to PCTs along with the planning and securing of NHS dental services for their locality."

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK378807/

That’s on paper, in practice, NHS England will still expect you to see that patient.

Yes!

My dentist just went full private and told me there were no NHS dentists takimg new customers within 30 miles. I went next door and they told me they were full but to try emailing. I got an email saying they are not fullnand now I have an NHS dentist. Get a list of all NHS dentists near you and email them sayng you have children. Good luck.