Using an NHS dentist and hygienist at different practices

[Mamma28383]

Is it ok to use a hygienist at a different practice to your NHS dentist?

We recently moved and are much further away from my dentist who’s really good and I don’t want to leave them. It’s tricky for me to go because I have a baby so I need DH to take lunch off to look after them, so he has to drive into town. There’s not time to do appointments on the same day so I’d have to do this at least 4 times a year. (Also the appointments are up steep stairs so even getting baby to sit in a stroller would be challenging to manage.)

I was thinking I could keep the dentist and go to a hygienist close to where DH works, since those appointments take longer. No other available NHS dentists that I can find.

I can’t think of a reason not to, I just feel a bit bad about not going to my dental practice for hygiene appointments. Should I be honest with them or is it a bit of a faux pas?

There’s no reason not to do this, if they allow it.
I say this as I tried to book into a nearer (private practice) for a hygienist appointment and I was told I would have to register and see their dentist for him to say it needed doing first, but I couldn’t just pay for a check up, I had to sign up to their monthly dental plan!

My NHS dentist only offers private hygienist appointments, but if you pay privately they take you off the NHS list!

I did end up having some private dental treatment for something and then saw a hygienist at that practice.

If you see a direct access hygienist then you don’t need to see a dentist first . Obviously this will be private . There are also some hygienist owned practices that just offer hygiene services . Ask around and phone up .

Many people mix and match NHS and private services . All I will say is that as most NHS treatments lose the practice money the private side subsides the NHS side.

Surely, the hygienist is private so you can do what you want?

I’ve had bloods done privately and not at my GP. I’ve had a private ultrasound and still had NHS maternity care. You can access whatever private services you want.

I would be mindful though that lots of NHS dentists are going private. The ones around here have slowly booted everyone off the books, and said oops, only have space for you if you go private now. If your dentist is going that way I’d be inclined to keep them sweet as long as possible.

I think this was my worry, that if I go elsewhere for a hygienist and not give my practice that business then I could get booted off. :(

I did this, but had to pay slightly more as I wasn’t their patient. Wasn’t a huge amount. But my own dentists hygienist only worked one day a week and didn’t have availability for months..

You wouldn’t get booted off but the practice uses private income to offset the losses on NHS treatment , so they are more likely to ditch NHS treatment as it becomes more and more uneconomic https://www.bda.org/media-centre/nhs-dentistry-treasury-now-no1-roadblock-to-saving-service/

We have an NHS dentist , but they only have private hygienist appointments at £100 for 30 mins . We now use a private hygienist who has her own clinic and who charges £65 for 30 minutes. No issue , although we have never felt the need to tell our dentist that’s what we are doing .

Ah ok. The hygenist at my NHS dentist is actually private - it’s a mix of NHS and private. I have no issues using it except for the distance. So I would probably be ok to stop using their hygenist then? They’re in a very central location so I’m sure they’re not short of patients.