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Original poster

Can you get a dentist in your area?

70 replies

Inyourwildestdreams · 30/10/2023 22:13

Having an absolute nightmare trying to get myself and my 3yo registered with a dentist and wondering if it’s the same everywhere?!

We moved towns at the end of last year (only 7 miles). None of the dental practices (there are 3) in the new town were taking on new patients or adding to their waiting lists at the time so we just remained registered with the one we previously lived near. Then that dentist retired (very small practice with one dentist) and they are working with temps at the moment. We’ve had 4 appointments for check ups booked and cancelled this year because of staffing issues. Today I received a letter - we’re being removed from their patient list due to no longer living in the area.
Meanwhile in our new town, 2 of the dentists in 1 practice have privatised and struck off all their NHS patients. The other practices opened their waiting lists exclusively for those being struck off and now both have waiting lists of over 900 people. The 2 that have privatised are also full.
The nearest dentist I can find that will take us on is 2.5hours away on public transport (for medical reasons I am unable to drive). They want £35 per month per patient. This gives 2 check ups and 2 hygiene appointments per year plus 10% off any other treatments.

Is it this hard everywhere?! I just want my child to have access to dental care!!

OP posts:
TryAgainWithFeeling · 30/10/2023 22:14

Ive managed to find a practice for my kids, and I’ve noticed a couple of practices advertising that they’re taking children on as NHS patients. But I can’t find anywhere within an hour drive that’ll take me as an adult.

MendaciousMabel · 30/10/2023 22:15

Sounds like where I live, it’s absolutely impossible. I got removed from my dentist for not going in for a while but it was during the height of covid 😂

TryAgainWithFeeling · 30/10/2023 22:16

Just to add - there are plenty of private options round us, that’s not hard to access. Several of them offer free check ups for kids if their parents are private patients too.

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Dental health
justalittlesnoel · 30/10/2023 22:16

Private only where I am. Costs me a fortune! Check up and cleaning next week, will cost me £90 ish.

XenoBitch · 30/10/2023 22:16

No. I have been trying for 2 years now. My town is a dental desert

Many private places are taking kids on as NHS, but only if their parents sign up as private too.

KeeefBurtain · 30/10/2023 22:16

I’ve been on the waiting list for 5 years at the 2 dentists within 10 miles of me

goldenpastures · 30/10/2023 22:18

It's the same everywhere, even for children. A friend recently felt fortunate her family were able to join a two year waiting list. I hope you find somewhere soon.

muchalover · 30/10/2023 22:20

Nope. Not a chance in town, county or region.

It's a dire situation that needs addressing at Govt level.

Original poster
Inyourwildestdreams · 30/10/2023 22:25

It’s awful!! We’ve always just been fine with our little local dentist so I had no idea it was so difficult 😳
I don’t mind paying for private if necessary - but that one 2.5 hours away is genuinely the closest I can find and it’s really not very easily accessible for me with not driving (it’s a train then 2 buses each way. Plus add having to take a full day off work each time we need the dentist!

OP posts:
Sapphire387 · 30/10/2023 22:55

That's really terrible, I had heard there was a crisis with it.

We've been ok, had no trouble accessing NHS dental for either adults or children.

We live in London.

GettingStuffed · 30/10/2023 23:00

Private only near here. You may get an emergency appointment at a clinic the other side of the city nearest to us if you're lucky

Davros · 30/10/2023 23:05

I have an NHS dentist, also in London. In fact I went today

Safxxx · 30/10/2023 23:07

Me and my kids were registered in our local dentists and during COVID I didn't go as wasn't needed...after I tried getting appt I was told due to not visiting in a year I've been struck off their list 😡 kids were fine stayed on....I did have a go at them that they atleast should of notified me....they said they didn't have to. I couldn't find another one locally and had to pay over £200 for tooth extraction privately. I've since found a NHS dentist half n hour drive away and have registered with them....such a crisis it's crazy

Paddleboarder · 30/10/2023 23:16

We go to a practice where it’s mostly private with some NHS. Just heard the NHS dentist left and they’re trying to recruit with no luck so far. I enquired about coming for a private appointment in the meantime and they said once I book a private appointment we can’t go back to NHS. That was for my child. There is no where else to go on NHS despite there being loads of dental practices in the area. It’s diabolical.

MamaTryingHerBest · 30/10/2023 23:22

I'm an NHS patient at my dentist, as are my 4 children. My son and I went last week for treatment and I actually registered my youngest son who's 15 weeks old onto the family account as an NHS patient. No problem at all and they've even booked his first appointment for next year.

Noname99 · 30/10/2023 23:43

I moved from private to an nhs dentist 5 years ago after they total piss take became too much. When they started charging £200 for a small filling that took no more than 15 minutes and when you could no longer park in their carpark due to their 200K range rovers filling up the spaces, I decided it was time to move.
3 months waiting list and then accepted on to the nhs dentist practice staffed exclusively by Polish and Romanian dentists who are excellent. So lucky for me that these professionals were happy to set up shop here.

I really hope that the reforms Sunaik announced get put in place before Labour get in and just throw endless money at these vastly over paid medical ‘professionals.’ Along with the piss taking medical consultants who feel that their exorbitant salaries for very conservative hours (limited weekend, limited emergency cover) are ‘not enough’ despite the fact that the govt ie tax payer has subsided their training to the tune of hundreds of thousands. The previous labour govt absolutely destroyed nhs dentistry by allowing this and I’m afraid the next one will continue the idiocy 🙄

JustAMinutePleass · 30/10/2023 23:51

Local practices take kids on NHS only for private patients. NHS patients all have to go on a queing system and don’t take families all together - which means we have crazy systems like I’m an NHS patient at one practice, DH is a private patient at another, and I’m also a private patient at a 3rd practice to get DH seen on the NHS

Itwasamemo3 · 30/10/2023 23:54

I gave up ages ago . I now go privately and the charges are actually pretty good. Saw the dentist today because I was stressing about a bump on my tongue. Only booked a 830 am today . She reassured me and did a check up for £48,she is seeing grandchild soon and said she will see her for a chat and not a proper appointment. Maybe count her teeth and talk about Peppa pig …so they are not all grabby.

RomeoandJomeo · 30/10/2023 23:56

Our dentist went private a year or so ago, and I have been unable to find another one to take me on as an NHS patient. I've got my foot in the door at the nearest Dental Hospital, where i got excellent emergency treatment, and they have said they'll take me on as a patient for their students to practice on. Meanwhile I got a phone call from my old practice touting for business last week, so things are clearly not going as well for them as they hoped... I know they're not the architects of this situation, but it was quite cathartic having a good chuckle and telling them to get lost.

BurbleBumleBleep · 31/10/2023 00:04

No. I’ve been with the same NHS practise 20 odd years. Every few years it’s bought out by a new bunch I phoned last month only to get a recorded message they were only doing emergencies.

However I’m considering braces and is opened me up to the world of private dentistry. It’s amazing….everyone is so pleased to see you, knows your name, explain things, make sure you aren’t in pain etc etc. My hygienist this morning was fantastic. So kind and apologetic for even making me open my mouth a bit wider . I’m looking into going private now for everything. My hygienist told me she does NHS in the week too.

Timewentfast · 31/10/2023 00:40

My own dentist is giving NHS patients their current course of treatment on the NHS and then going private. So you can stay and convert to private or you can go elsewhere. Meanwhile they are so busy they have closed their books even to new private patients and my dentist is looking very tired, stressed and grumpy.

I was lucky in so far as my current course of NHS treatment has involved 8 visits so far but I am having trouble with my teeth and the dentist seems to be rushing the treatment, refusing to stop when it hurts and then if there is problems you can't see him again for months as he is too busy so you get one of the young inexperienced dentists (also going private) who struggle to fix problems.

Got my next 1/2 hr appointment on Saturday and getting a phobia of dentist with all the rushing, pain and continually having to go back.

I asked him if it would be easier to get an appointment with him once I go onto the private patient list and he said he hoped but couldn't promise. So even paying for private he is so busy you have to wait to see him.
The premises are shabby and rundown as they have been for years so no posh premises here. Thus why are they so busy getting private patients on their books?

Where have all the dentists gone? Is it just a case of they are all private now (so same no of dentists but just private) or have they actually left the profession/country?

I think we can conclude that the NHS dentist system is being snuffed out. Not officially of course but in reality. Same with the GP / NHS system. I think the whole lot is being privatised by stealth.

haribosmarties · 31/10/2023 00:44

No! Mine and the kids is in another town which is difficult as I don't drive.. have to lug them all there on the train, an hours round trip
My DHs is in a city 2 hours away lol! It's where we used to live 6 years ago and it took him so long to get in there that he darent leave lol! He knows hed be on the waiting list years for mine and the kids one.. we only got in coz they were kids and i was pregnant. So he just drives 2 hours to go to the dentist when he has an appointment

MaidOfSteel · 31/10/2023 00:48

We live outside of a small village but signed up fine with the NHS practice in the village. I believe thry lokk after all the outlying areas. We had to wait a couple of months for our initial check up, but that's as difficult as it got.

PurpleSaturday · 31/10/2023 00:50

Central London- NHS dentist- still accepting patients

MaydinEssex · 31/10/2023 00:57

It's impossible to get an NHS dentist where I live, but I was fortunate enough to re-register with the practice I belonged to 5 years ago before I moved counties. Its a 160 mile round trip, not exactly local, but it's the best I could do.