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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:
MintJulia · 31/10/2023 00:58

I have NHS provision for me & ds, in rural Hampshire.

Nice practice in a village about 5 miles away. NHS treatment for both of us, but I have a private hygienist session every six months that allows them to make a bit of profit.

I make sure we turn up religiously, on time, and am proactively very helpful if they want to swap appointment times. So far they haven't tried to switch me to private.

NewtonPulsifer · 31/10/2023 02:03

Cannot get a dentist for us and our two children. It is appalling. We cannot afford private, either on a plan, or pay as you go. I have a tooth that is stating to ache, and another that is crumbling, but there is nothing I can do about as we cannot afford it. (Full time carer for a disabled child, husband on medium income but cost of living leaves us with no spare cash)

CanadianJohn · 31/10/2023 03:49

As someone asked upthread, where have all the dentists gone? Does anyone have stats on uk population-per-dentist, compared to other countries?

FWIW, I am in Ontario, Canada. We don't have public coverage for dental, everything is private. I believe people on welfare might have emergency dental coverage, but I can't be sure.

Very many people have private dental insurance, as I do.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dental health
sawnotseen · 31/10/2023 05:16

I had to leave my old practice when I moved. Broke a tooth during lockdown and couldn't get registered at any of the dentists on my town. Luckily, a new practice opened and we're taking both nhs and private patients. I was lucky and was registered as an nhs patient and have had a few treatments including an extraction, at nhs price. I recently enquired about my partner being registered (as he doesn't have a dentist due to being struck off for not going often enough!) and the waiting list is now over two years! I consider myself very lucky. Outer London.

MinnieMountain · 31/10/2023 06:14

After BUPA took over the NHS practice I used it became an absolute shit show for the NHS patients. I complained to their regulatory body but apparently BUPA were fulfilling the terms of their contract with the NHS. We’re now private. At least it’s within walking distance.

ginandtonicwithlimes · 31/10/2023 06:26

Yes still in a NHS dentist thankfully. Managed to have a wisdom tooth extract plus deep cleans and fillings for £70. Feeling very lucky. In Yorkshire.

mindutopia · 31/10/2023 07:13

No, there are no NHS dentists taking on new adult patients anywhere where we live. I have registered the kids with an NHS dentist as they told me they have to take children. I'm still registered with my old NHS dentist near our old house (1.5 hours drive away).

Hummusanddipdip · 31/10/2023 07:17

Not within a 60 mile radius of my house for the past 3+ years. Luckily I've been with my dentist for over 10 years and they took on ds as a NHS patient. Dh has had to go private.

Tarantella6 · 31/10/2023 07:21

Kids and I are registered NHS patients at the practice I've been going to since I was a teenager, we are only about 30 minutes from where I grew up so I've never changed. I go religiously, I'm terrified of needing work doing.

DH got struck off for not going often enough, but he didn't have too much trouble finding another practice who would see him as a private patient. He just paid for the appointment, he didn't bother with the monthly fee option.

Muddle2000 · 31/10/2023 07:33

We have had no NHS dentist for
Years as adults but DS still on NHS thanks to our old dentist
Age 27 but he takes care of his teeth NHS is packing in Go and see MP

User8054245 · 31/10/2023 07:41

Go private. If you don't have significant problems with your teeth (and assuming the 3 year old won't at all) then going to a private dentist with easy access to checkups and hygienists pays off a million-fold down the line.

Once you have a state of perfect teeth, brush and floss religiously. Get it deep cleaned once or twice a year. That is enough to prevent you from ever needing "real" dental treatment and the costs associated with it. The irony is that unlike most health conditions, dental care is almost 100% preventable so it's theoretically the cheapest.

The "trap" in the system is that people feel entitled to NHS dentists. If they can't find, they simply delay seeking treatment for years or even decades.
Once a problem goes untreated it can escalate very quickly and become extremely expensive.

People need to see dentistry like car repairs. You will never expect the garage to fix your car for free. No matter how tight money is, you need to carve out the budget for you car if you rely on it. You know you have to do the yearly checks to prevent costly or even life-threatening complications down the line.

goldenpastures · 31/10/2023 07:41

mindutopia · 31/10/2023 07:13

No, there are no NHS dentists taking on new adult patients anywhere where we live. I have registered the kids with an NHS dentist as they told me they have to take children. I'm still registered with my old NHS dentist near our old house (1.5 hours drive away).

They don't have to take children. In fact they can't if there are no places. Apparently nearly half of all children in England don't have access to an NHS dentist.

Even 10 years ago here they wouldn't take NHS children unless their parent joined as a private patient.

JNW11 · 31/10/2023 07:46

Yes we've moved from West Yorkshire
To Manchester and we couldn't find a dentist so me and my husband had
To sign up for
Private and the kids got nhs then at the private dentist which is shit really!!
But I've tried around atleast 50
Dentist all over with not one of them
Taking on new patients

CeeJay81 · 31/10/2023 07:49

Haven't had a nhs dentist for 5 plus years here, so it's private only unless you travel(no idea where the nearest nhs one is). However the private one doesn't charge crazy amounts and our kids are free. I had a small filling recently and that was around £50. I also had tooth extraction last year, just over £100. I think they may have stopped taking new people on now though. Our dentist is in his 70s(very good though), So they desperately need to find a new one soon.

DominoRules · 31/10/2023 08:01

All private, no spaces at NHS dentists for adults or kids anywhere nearby. We get 50% of dental paid with private medical which helps

Littlelucas · 31/10/2023 08:05

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

This has just happened to me, I'm livid actually. They've taken me off with no notice at all (didn't send reminders for checkups) yet dh is still on there despite not going for even longer than me. Personally I think the staff there are probably bumping random people off possibly to make room for their own friends and family?

Im going to have to go private next time I need treatment.

Lyricallie · 31/10/2023 08:14

I was on the NHS list with my husband. However every time I’ve called since 2021 they have said they’re not doing check ups only emergencies. So we have just signed up with the private one and even then not got an appointment until Feb!

cheapskatemum · 31/10/2023 08:29

Quite simply - no.

The Bupa Dental Care practice in my small town closed at short notice. It was the only one in the town. None of the dentists in a 40 mile radius have any vacancies. I haven't tried any further afield than that because I can't justify driving 80+ miles to a dentist appointment.

Original poster
Inyourwildestdreams · 31/10/2023 20:10

User8054245 · 31/10/2023 07:41

Go private. If you don't have significant problems with your teeth (and assuming the 3 year old won't at all) then going to a private dentist with easy access to checkups and hygienists pays off a million-fold down the line.

Once you have a state of perfect teeth, brush and floss religiously. Get it deep cleaned once or twice a year. That is enough to prevent you from ever needing "real" dental treatment and the costs associated with it. The irony is that unlike most health conditions, dental care is almost 100% preventable so it's theoretically the cheapest.

The "trap" in the system is that people feel entitled to NHS dentists. If they can't find, they simply delay seeking treatment for years or even decades.
Once a problem goes untreated it can escalate very quickly and become extremely expensive.

People need to see dentistry like car repairs. You will never expect the garage to fix your car for free. No matter how tight money is, you need to carve out the budget for you car if you rely on it. You know you have to do the yearly checks to prevent costly or even life-threatening complications down the line.

@User8054245 Completely agree that some feel entitled to NHS treatment. Absolutely happy to pay for private - but even that is proving extremely difficult to find. As I said in my previous post, the closest that I can find is 2.5 hours each way by public transport (a train & 2 buses each way). I’m unable to drive for medical reasons so it makes it a bit more of a hassle for these things. We have no dental issues, and my 3 year olds teeth are great as far as I know. Just going to need to sign us up with the one 2.5h away until we can get something closer 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Jellykat · 31/10/2023 20:27

No NHS dentists here, and there hasnt been for years.. both my DC had to go on Denplan from very young. I couldnt afford it for me too, as i wasnt dentally fit.
Everytime i found an NHS dentist, they became totally private before i'd managed to get anywhere.
Now i'm losing teeth fast Sad

goldenpastures · 31/10/2023 21:39

Completely agree that some feel entitled to NHS treatment.

Good grief. Some can't afford the alternative, even the cost of a private check up. Is that so difficult to understand.

Original poster
Inyourwildestdreams · 01/11/2023 06:50

goldenpastures · 31/10/2023 21:39

Completely agree that some feel entitled to NHS treatment.

Good grief. Some can't afford the alternative, even the cost of a private check up. Is that so difficult to understand.

@goldenpastures Not at all! But there are plenty that can that are still using the NHS system despite it clearly being in crisis. Or keeping spaces in the waiting lists for NHS which is preventing others that can’t afford the alternative from accessing dental.
I know 3 & 4 year olds in our town who have never seen a dentist which is terrible!

OP posts:
Pipistrellus · 01/11/2023 07:02

MinnieMountain · 31/10/2023 06:14

After BUPA took over the NHS practice I used it became an absolute shit show for the NHS patients. I complained to their regulatory body but apparently BUPA were fulfilling the terms of their contract with the NHS. We’re now private. At least it’s within walking distance.

BUPA took over ours too, then a few years later it went fully private. Now they don't want it anymore so are selling. Nasty company.

RedCoffeeCup · 01/11/2023 07:04

All fine here until 2 months ago. Then the local dentist closed its NHS practice and is now treating private patients only.

ExhaustedPigeon · 01/11/2023 07:05

I am lucky and have a dentist. Rang to make an appointment for my kids and the earliest they could give me was October 2025!