What happens if you can't wait for a dentist running late?

[Thingsthatgo]

My DS has an NHS dental appointment next week. Something has come up and he needs to be across town afterwards, which will be fine if the dentist is on time, or up to 15 minutes late.
However, our dentist is often running very late (we usually wait up to an hour). What happens if we have to leave before the appointment? Presumably they can't sanction us, if it's their fault. I guess we might have to wait several months for another appointment.

Well you don't get your dental check or work done and have to wait for a new appointment. Have you tried ringing to reschedule to allow proper time?

How much time would you say is proper time? I am allowing for the standard appointment time plus 15 minutes.

Could you not arrange for an earlier dentist appt. I've once waited about 30 mins

i’d ask at reception when I booked in if there was any expected delays, and if the response was yes, I’d tell them if it was more than 15 minutes I’d need to rebook.

That isn’t enough time, what if at the check they find something and need to do it at that point. Can’t you cancel one of the appointments and rearrange?

I’ve never had to wait at my dentist ever.

Never have to wait for dentist.

Now GP on the other hand, never go to GP appointment without a book!

Pragmatically, we all know that dentists can overrun by 15 minutes. Rearrange the appointment for another time.

It's an NHS dentist. I usually book in the next appointment when we finish. Dentist says 6 months, but sometimes they can't fit us in for 8 months. If we can't do this appointment I expect it will be Spring 2025.

It's always 30 minutes past my appointment time before I get to see my dentist. I think it's part of a cunning plan to ensure that he always has a full waiting room.

I'm always waiting 30-60 minutes from my dentist appt time. It's annoying but that's what you get in the nhs.

You need to move one of the appointments

I get annoyed waiting for my appointment but I’ve also been grateful when I broke a tooth and they fitted me in the next day. It’s not a fixed appointment time and I'm glad it’s not for emergency treatment for people

Why not just call now and see if they have had a cancellation and can fit him in at a different time? Don’t cancel the existing appt, just see if there is another reasonable option.

@Ponderingwindow thank you - that's a good idea. I'll give them a call on Monday. The other appointment is an acting workshop that he auditioned for, and has been awarded for free through a bursary scheme.

This. To be honest, I'm not sure what you expected to happen.

I think call in advance and be honest. I wouldn't turn up then just walk out, that looks worse. This happened to me and I just called a few days in advanced and explained the situation and they were great and rescheduled.

I will give them a call. I just wanted to check that they won't sanction me if we have to leave.

As a dentist I'd call and reschedule. Fifteen minutes grace is too tight. We wouldn't sanction you if you need to leave but we would be thinking why on earth you allowed so little wriggle room.
I can be running on time and they person before arrives with 50 billion layers they need to remove and then replace on arrival and departure, they turn up with something that's fallen off but didn't warn reception that they will do this so no additional time was allowed, they have had a spell of ill health that has meant they are now on medication that takes a while to discuss, they want to tell me about their new grandchild (usually in detail), they arrived late but that's OK because we're usually late (not through choice but for all the reasons listed above).
With the best will in the world healthcare appointments are difficult to keep strictly to schedule as those pesky patients just scupper it for us.