Nhs dentist gone private

[LLS1983]

Just after a bit of advice & where I stand. So back in June 2023 my NHS dentist advised on taking out my front teeth, And gave me Temporary Dentures, Told me to wear the temps for 6 months to allow my mouth to heal. Just found out that my nhs dentist is going private effective from 31st December. Been told by them that they can no longer help me unless I pay privately. I asked if they could get me in before the transition date to have my permanent dentures and of course surprise surprise they said no. So I'm left with TEMPORARY dentures, Which won't last forever I'm told, I also have a cyst which needs removing and again, won't remove that unless I pay. So where do I stand on this people? I think it's pretty unfair to just drop me half way through treatment. I work full time and can't afford the prices they are charging. I'm so worried my temp dentures won't last and I'll be forced to have nothing. I'm very worried. What can I do guys?

Oh dear - do you live in a city?

Have they really given you no advice on where to go?

I suppose you could get a payment plan but I can imagine the prices <winces>

Actually I saw a dentist recently and asked him if NHS dentistry was being phased out (because I hear about situations like this so much) and he said no, it's just that dentists are opting out.

It's weird having grown up with an NHS dentist.

Mine has done the same. There is now no NHS dentist to be had within a 30 mile radius! It is incredibly difficult to even get an appointment at any of these.

I hope you manage to get sorted.

Can you get them to refer you to a dental hospital? You may have to wait but at least you'll be on a list. You really need to get that cyst sorted which you should be able to get emergency treatment for.

Ours was the same. They did carry on peoples NHS treatments if they were right in the middle of them though.

There's not a single NHS dentist left in my town or in 30mins and the NHS dentists left in my county won't accept new patients as they are all shutting their services down gradually. You either pay privately or don't go in my county 🤷‍♀️ it's scandalous.

The cyst should be treated in a hospital environment as per nice guidelines anything removed from the mouth needs pathology testing just to be certain it isn't anything harmful.
When did your treatment start? If your mid way through they should honour it and finish your new denture but the problem is the way nhs dentistry is funded. They get paid so little for making dentures never mind the surgery overheads and lab bills it actually works out that they are out of pocket which is why most dentists are handing back their nhs contracts.

@Tonight1 they've given me a payment plan of 22 pounds a month which only covers one scale and polish and 2 check ups per year. Anything else we have to pay private prices. I live in a very rural part of Wales. There's no other nhs dentist available either.

@Londonnight it's an awful situation isn't it. Basic care of our mouths and teeth and we can't even get that no more. The prices privately are extortionate

@DelilahBucket well the thing is they go private officially in December I asked if they could fit me in to do cyst before then. They told me NO as they only doing nhs emergency appointments. I've had 3 cysts removed in June and they've left me with this last one which does need removing. They told me to call 111 and get them to help me. I think I'm only left with that option by calling 111

Health is devolved in Wales isn’t it. I’d be complaining to the practice and to your Senedd representative. Not about the decision to turn private, which is probably understandable, but about their high-handed behaviour - leaving you in the lurch mid-treatment is despicable.

@soleroonic unfortunately my dentist said unless it's an emergency they won't carry out any nhs appointments. I think it's disgusting they dropping me halfway through treatment. I'm going to take it further I think. I have found out the relevant information to complain. Worth a try.

@Proseccoismyfriend my treatment started in June 2023 they removed my front teeth and removed 3 cysts, left one remaining cyst to be done another time. I was sent to another dentist at the time by referral. No hospital involved which was weird. I've begged twice to finish my treatment before December when they officially go private but they are saying they can not as its not an emergency. My dentures are temporary and don't fit properly anyway plus this last cyst needs taking out. I'm just really stuck

It's just awful. I appreciate the qirk they've already done but it's not completed and as a full time worker I still can't afford their private prices. What really annoys me is they don't transition to private until December and they can't do nhs treatments in that time frame unless it's an emergency. I'd say a cyst could be deemed as urgent, luckily my other cysts that were removed were not dangerous.

It's not a good situation

Even if they are private they should be able to refer you for a cyst removal to a hospital, this what happened to me last year, i had to wait a few months to have dental cyst removed and some teeth.

I can definitely appreciate what you are saying here. However, from a dental point of view the inital phase of the treatment was completed. A set of immediate dentures was provided with the understanding that in the future another set would be required (due to the time it takes for the mouth to heal after extractions). If they had taken impressions for a denture, then gone private, then not given you the denture for which they took impressions for without you paying private fees, I think you would have a good case. But in this circumstance, I doubt the a complaint is going to get you anywhere.