What does your NHS dentist do at check up?

[Wintersoltice]

I'm in and out in under 5 min. They look at teeth, poke gums, and feel around mouth/soft tissues. Every couple of years do X rays. They don't even poke the teeth to check for signs of decay - I feel like they used to do this years ago?

Is this normal? I'm wondering whether to switch to private. DH goes to a private dentist and is quite satisfied with his treatment which includes a scale and polish at each appointment.

I had a brilliant NHS dentist who was really thorough, and she used to do a scale and polish as well. Then she retired.

My new NHS dentist basically just looks in my mouth to confirm that I do, in fact, have some teeth, and then tries to upsell me whitening treatments or Invisalign.

I'm honestly in the chair for under 90 seconds.

I alternate once a year with my NHS dentist purely to keep myself registered in case I need expensive treatment, and once a year with a private dentist somewhere else who does more than simply glance in my mouth. Those appointments are much longer.

The 'check up' is a good 8-9 minutes, poking gently, gums and teeth, front and back, top and bottom. Then a polish and scale that lasts about 6-7 minutes. X rays every year. So maybe a 15-17 minute visit roughly. My (NHS) dentist is mid 30s, female, and Spanish (married to an Englishman and been in the UK for 12-13 years.) Couldn't ask for a better dentist! (Been with her 7-8 years.)

Also, I can get in often the same day if I have a dental emergency, like a broken tooth or fractured filling. Unless it's like, 3-4pm, then it will be the next day. Unless it's a Friday afternoon, then it will most likely be the Monday.

I had a filling come out on Christmas Eve Eve (23 Dec) once at 4pm, and I phoned them and they got me in the next morning, and they were only open 8.30am til 1pm. And she fixed it. I was so lucky! I thought I was going to spend Christmas with a whole in my tooth! 😬

They do nothing anymore. NHS is on its knees.

Our old dentist who retired a few years ago did a thorough look, clean and polish. Nothing of the sort now

Mine does a thorough examination with plenty of prodding . The he does a scale and polish .

Mine does a scale and polish included in check up. My previous dentist used to make me book an appointment with the hygienist for that and pay for it.

I went the other day - she looked and poked around, did x-rays, then a scale and polish.
My previous dentist used to go round my mouth and tell the assistant "D4 is OK" or whatever and I assume they were making a note of that somehow. This dentist doesn't do that. The assistant wasn't even in the room until it was time to do the x-rays.

OMG OP, I was going to ask the same. Last week DH and I both had a check-up. I've seen my NHS dentist multiple times this last year due to issues with a crown and DH has seen her with other issues.

The 'check up' though was incredibly quick for us both! Basically, counting my teeth! 1, 2, 3, 4, composite, etc. Last year, she did an X-ray but this year, we both felt it was as quick as possible. She is lovely, but I left wondering why I'd bothered at all? Its only £26 for a check-up, but I really wondered what the point was and felt it was such a waste- of my time and money plus her time also.

Mine didn't even look in my mouth last time. She took an x-ray, quick look at it then sent me on my way.

The 'check up' is a good 8-9 minutes, poking gently, gums and teeth, front and back, top and bottom. Then a polish and scale that lasts about 6-7 minutes. X rays every year. So maybe a 15-17 minute visit roughly.

This

Quizzes me on whether I am still not smoking, seems shocked when I say nope I'm still off the cigs (he's known me since I was 13, I smoked for 20 years)

Pokes around and says my teeth are very clean but I should floss more (no matter how much I do floss)

Occasionally springs a surprise like last time after an x ray when he announced I have a hole in my upper wisdom tooth

Sends me next door to the hygienist who does a hand scale and polish as I can't tolerate the water thing

I don't even see a dentist! Mines a dental therapist. I like her though. She calls out numbers whilst having a rummage. X ray every couple of years. There's a sign saying scale and polish is no longer included in the check up so I pay 80 every six months to have my nails removed from the chair

Very little it feels like, they’re normally running way behind schedule even when I’m the first appt the time in the chair is about 60 seconds, a very quick look, no scaling no prodding.

I am worried about this. I have only just got an NHS dentist, and my teeth are awful.
I keep reading they will look at your teeth, but not do anything. Or, if they see an issue, you have to go private.

My boyfriend sees his NHS dentist, and they kept saying everything is fine. He saw a hygienist, and they pointed out several issues (including wobbly teeth), and have referred him to a periodontist.

Oh sorry I didn't read the NHS bit! I'm on denplan

Before the pandemic, I used to have a thorough check up, x-ray, and a scale and polish. Unfortunately for me, my dentist retired a few years ago and now my new NHS dentist just looks in my mouth and tells me everything looks perfect. I'm in and out within minutes. I'm in constant discomfort with my gums and a few of my molars. The new dentist is also rather rude and ignores what I say about the pain I'm in and tells me everything looks fine...she can't get me out of the door fast enough! I have asked to see the hygienist and that has been refused.

@JoyousEagle I had no idea that you could be registered with both an NHS and private dentist. Are dental records transferred between practices or not? Do you just have a check up with the private dentist or do they also do treatment too?

Mine checks every tooth and calls the number and status out to the assistant, she then checks my gums with plenty of prodding. Following this, a brief scale and polish - I keep on top of tartar build up so it's generally just removing the hard to reach flecks. X-rays every two years. She always asks if I have any concerns or issues.

If your teeth are in good condition then there's really no reason for you to be in the room for more than 15 mins.

Also, many dentists perform both private and NHS work. You can opt for private but you are essentially just paying a lot more for exactly the same work, carried out by the same person in the same facilities.

My dentist is exactly the same, she seems almost bored to see the next patient. Then she is so quick, you’re in and out in less than 3 minutes maximum. She never responds to questions about the cause of pain or sensitivity, doesn’t even really treat you as a human being. It’s awful and gives me no confidence that my dental health is actually being cared for.

Looks in my mouth, does the number 0-4 gum check with the stabby pointy tool thing. Tells me she can see tiny coffee stains but doesn't want to do a scale/polish as that is too much scraping and will damage will teeth. (Funny no other NHS dentist ever said that, ignores tiny stains...).

Then, tries to upsell a private treatment that involved sandblasting my teeth with what tastes like bicarb of soda for an extra £60 to remove tiny coffee stains.

Been going to this dentist for 45 years and since it was bought over and went part NHS/part private they aren't interested unless you are paying the extra for private stuff.

I gave up on the NHS one for these reasons coupled with the inability to get an appointment. Now I see a lovely private one, not overly expensive. Checks my glands, examines gums in detail ( which was a mystery to me as I'd never experienced it before), prods and pokes teeth, does a couple of X-rays which are included usually if necessary,. Either does an ultrasonic de scale and polish, or in my case a hand scale and polish which takes ages as he's so meticulous( not because my teeth are nasty) takes pictures of any things hes keeping a watch int with a magic camera which looks like a pen they put on your teeth and lo and behold a Technicolor picture appears on the screen which they compare each time. Even the equipment they use superior. He again applies Florida visiting in vulnerable places occasionally.. It's all included in the check up price. It not an unpleasant experience going there either so I'm happy to go there.

Ooh.

I don’t live in the U.K. anymore, but I pay the equivalent more or less of an NHS dentistry fee each time in a more expensive country than the U.K.

it takes 30 minutes, a thorough check up, scale and polish, x-ray and fluoride injections applied to some weak spots on my enamel. It’s been like night and day. Since I moved here I’ve only needed a small filling re-doing.

Back in the U.K. on the NHS, it was a quick peek, and out the door in 2 minutes or less. Also had to pay extra for hygienist appointments. In the end I needed a lot of work carried out that’d been ignored by said dentist and ended up losing a tooth to an abscess. As in 5 fillings, a root canal and an extraction when that failed.

But they never failed to try to sell me Invisalign, whitening, or night guards. Or one special occasion, lip fillers. Dicks.

UK dental care on the NHS was beyond crap in my experience.

Old NHS dentist did a thorough check, scrape, polish etc then retired about 10 years ago.
The practice has been bought and sold twice since. Now it’s very modern, could say flashy. Lots of dental aesthetics offered, teeth whitening, Invisalign, etc. I mentioned that I had an area of sensitivity in one tooth, dentist sprayed something on it and that was it. Fast forward a year now need a crown/root canal as clearly it’s decayed, part of it has crumbled away. Somewhat bewildered that nothing was done in the first place. Now have to pay for a polish etc with the in house hygienist.

@HerbieFluffyDumpling my dentist is private and NHS but if I want a white filling I pay extra.
I also attend a private dental practice once a year for a full clean with their hygienist as our practice seems to only have one in about 2
minutes a year.
My dentist is great and so lovely, might be in 15 min but always feel well looked after. The private hygienist is a swizz tho. You pay for a 30 min slot, you do not get a 30 min appointment and she’s 90quid. She’s good but not great compared to other hygienists I’ve been to but there’s absolutely no one else about. Seems to be a hygienist shortage

As with PPs, my dentist pokes about for about 90 seconds. With a very routine check up, she spends more time asking her list of questions eg, Do you smoke, Do you eat a lot of sugary food etc, than looking in my mouth. That being said, if I mention any twinges she does investigate them thoroughly and last year that included picking up on a tooth that needed extracting and making a referral. This year I mentioned some pain which she helped identify as muscular rather than nerve pain, suggesting that I grind my teeth and she then made some recommendations about how to deal with this. Apparently there is an app to help stop teeth grinding, but I can’t remember what it is!

I'm wondering if it's worth sticking with NHS when there is basically no preventative aspects to the treatment. But alternatively, is there anything valuable in what would be done extra at a private appointment or is it basically just for show?

Regarding treatment, if I needed a filling or crown I would probably get them done under private care anyway in order to get the white materials.