...to think my dentist is cutting corners?

[LizziePizzie]

I went for my routeen 6 month check and also a 'clean' and my whole visit took no more than 10 minutes. The clean didn't include by back teeth and i came out feeling ver unsatisfied! (and fury teeth!)

I also asked what age I should state taking my DD (who is now 18 months old) and was told not till she is 3 years old. Is this right? I ignored that and have made an apointment for her in 6 months time to just get him to have a look at her!

PS - its an NHS dentist.

3 years old?! My dentist starts to see dc 3 months after they have cut their first tooth. DS3 is 10mo and has his first visit in January. I am quite lucky too - DS3 is the first of my 4 dc that enjoys having his teeth brushed. He will sit tere and open his mouth waiting for me to brush. And he'll happily sit there for ages. The other three it was more like a case of holding them down and poking the toothbrush round as quick as possible until they were about 4-ish!

My 3 dcs have been going to dentist (nhs) since they were a few months old, Dentist recommended they go from that age so they would be used to going and not be scared. I would have thought that a child needed their teeth checked from the time they came in.
He doesnt take long with my teeth, maybe ten mins too? but they do feel clean though.

I've had this sneaking suspicion too, and my dentist in a NHS dentist. I felt sure that she wasn't really addressing a problem I had, which was confirmed when she went on maternity leave and I saw another dentist at the practise who immediately suggested this and that treatment.

The DDs have been going since they were 3 or 4 ish. I tried to take DD1 earlier than that but she just refused to open her mouth! Clearly the dentist still got paid by the NHS for that visit, so a more unscrupulous dentist probably would have told you to bring her earlier.

Have been taking mine since about 6 moths after 1st tooth appeared. mine is NHS, and that was what she recommended we do- even if they dont open their mouth ( and this has happened!) they still have a positive experience, and get sticker etc as a reward, now they are older, I have no problem taking them for checkups- good thing too, as DS2 recently cracked his perm front tooth and has to go every 2 months for this special protective enamel to be painted on!

children do not generally have all their baby teeth until about 3 years old which is why this is quoted as the minimum age. however most dentists will not mind having a quick look at littlies just to get them used to the whole experience.

although i think you do seem very distrustful. "i ignored that and have made an appointment for her in 6 months time" really if you are not sure next time maybe ask? there is usually a reason why professionals advise different things.

My dentist doesn't see children till they are three and if it's too upsetting she just gets them to sit in the chair to begin with.

Your teeth are another matter, if your teeth were furry then you should try brushing them better. Usually the hygenist does cleaning where I'm at not the dentist.

If I were you I would invest in a good electric toothbrush (Oral B) and some good quality toothpaste (Elgydium). IMO if you use them twice a day and floss regularly you won't have furry teeth!

Just to let you know, the fury teeth comment was supposed to be labouring the point - I do clean my teeth but after a clean they feel extra clean and shiny and they didn't. I used to see a seperate hyginest, but this time the dentist did it himself, its a one man band dentist.

My (NHS) dentist doesn't clean at all - just checks them over, way less than 10 minutes. £17. Then you book separately for the hygienist (which I think is about £40).

Ds3 saw her for the first time last week, he's just turned 3 - she just counted his teeth and gave him a sticker .

My NHS dentist has never cleaned my teeth and wasnt interested in seeing DS until he was quite old despite me telling him he had Reflux and I had been told advised to keep an eye on his teeth. Its the only NHS one for miles

I go to a private dentist who also treats DC on the NHS; she tends to ask to see them/register DC starting around 3yo. DC will barely open their mouths to let her peek in before that kind of age, anyway. Even at 3yo, they are more likely to just sit in the chair & stair with mouth firmly sealed shut. It takes until about 5-6yo I find before they relax about letting her poke around in there.

Also, on NHS, the new rule (says my dentist) is supposed to be only once/year, and the kids can only be seen more often if parents request.

As an NHS dentist myself, I can tell you that appointments for a check-up are only 10 minutes. Also, a scale and polish is to remove tartar - the hard yellow deposits you cannot remove yourself with brushing. Furry feeling teeth is normally from plaque, which you can brush away yourself. Most people tend to get tartar building up on the inside of their lower front teeth, and often nowhere else, so there is no point in wasting time cleaning teeth that don't need it when you could use that time to check the teeth.
As for children, I tend to see them fairly early to get them used to the whole experience, but am lucky to get an actual peek in their mouth before about 3.
Of course we'd like to have longer than 10 minutes for a check-up, but it's not possible on the NHS due to the number of patients we see in a day. If you want a long appointment and every tooth cleaned regardless of whether it's necessary or not, then go and see a private dentist and pay at least twice the price.

Ok as a private dentist I don't agree with dippy at all that you only need to remove tartar from the front teeth. All the teeth should be cleaned - this is necessary to prevent periodontal disease (which causes more tooth loss than decay). Periodontal problems are caused by plaque. I also don't like the assumption that private dentists clean teeth 'regardless of whether it is necessary'.

Your best bet is to see a hygienist for cleaning. If your dentist doesn't have one, find somewhere that does and ask your dentist to write a referral.

My point was that plaque can be removed by brushing, tartar can't. As I would always check periodontal health during the check-up, of course I wouldn't just clean those teeth with tartar if there was a perio problem. You have time to clean all the teeth in each case, NHS dentists do not.

Didn't mean to imply a private dentist would do unnecessary work btw

The OP was complaining her dentist only spent 10 minutes on her check-up, just wanted to clarify that that is the norm on the NHS so not to think her dentist was cutting corners.

Oh yes, that I definitely agree with. If you want more than a 10minute exam then you need to go privately. A big reason why dentists leave the NHS is because they feel there is a difference between what they want to provide for patients and what the NHS will allow them to provide.

Quite, and that's the main reason I'm considering it. Sorry for hijack OP

I go private & rarely get more than 10 minutes.
Maybe I should take that as a good sign.
My dentist does wax on about how much nicer it is to work privately. Better equipment, etc.

I went in under NHS dentist to have a tooth out and because the dentist was so nice (and my tooth took about 5 mins to get out) i got a free clean anyway. Didnt need it my teeth are otherwise perfect (the one i had out was knocked by a horse when i was 11, and has gradually been done various things but now was the time).

I have just joined this dentist and registered my son there too who is 18months and they insisted on seeing him as well as myself, for a new patient check. He was of course fine.

Lizzypizzy: here is a bit of advice: try and find a South African dentist. Seriously, South Africa in the old regime used to be world leaders in dentistry and orthodontics, the Americans used to copy them.
Culturally, South Africans tend to be honest to the point of rudeness too so you know you aren't being lied to. They say they are shocked at the terrible state of British teeth and the standard that British dentists work to (told you they were blunt).

Also: put your baby onto flouride tablets NOW. My South African dentist did a web search of the flouride content of UK water in our area (bare minimum) and put my kids on flouride, telling me it was probably too late they should have been on flouride since before teeth appeared in the gums. The whole flouride 'debate' he said was a load of hijacked sentimentality there is no question at all that flouride stops tooth decay, there isn't enough of it in toothpaste and kids need the supplements - only very few places in the world does flouride occur high enough in the water naturally (some places in Africa which is why they have such amazing teeth) but check your area on the www. Put tablet in mouth as you read the goodnight story so that the flouride is in the mouth at night.
Also: do not rinse out toothpaste. Spit out bubbles only and walk, again for the flouride.
Lastly: you MUST brush your children's teeth YOURSELF up until at least the age of 10, then under supervision. This is because children simply don't have the fine motor control (as in writing) to do 'oral hygiene' themselves and this is why they are at such a high risk of tooth decay. They literally cannot brush their teeth properly you must do it for them.

That lecture took about 10 minutes, after the patronising stuff I had got from the dentist before ('your children's teeth are fine') I knew I was being told the bald, scientific, straight facts and was very grateful I found him. It has taken a lot of intervention to get my family's teeth back on track, from being riddled with tooth decay in the baby teeth there is now 1 filling between them in adult teeth. But it is only because we found this guy.

Would agree that fluoride is essential BUT you must check the fluoride levels in your local water first.
And the age I have always heard for brushing your kids teeth for them is 7, although I still do spot checks on the older ones. And use disclosure tablets: cheap,easy and kids usually like doing it( at bedtime not morning unless you want to look like a vampire)
Unfortunately there are good and bad dentists in NHS and private practice and finding a South African is no guarantee. There is a South African dentist around here who is both brutal and a poor dentist,just as you may have found a good one _abitwobbly

I've been told by several dentists that they don't need to see them until they are around 4.

I also forgot another huge part of the lecture which is FLOSS BETWEEN TEETH. EVERY DAY. He really went on about this, between the teeth comprises nearly 40% of the tooth surface, and this is where gum disease happens and-your-teeth-will-fall-out- if you don't stop the plaque destroying the little fibres. Brush your teeth and spit into the basin if there is any blood you have gum disease and you must start flossing/mouthwash. Gum disease is also linked to heart attacks/low grade organ infection as well so it is a big thing to prevent.
Floss before brushing.

I must admit now if I don't floss I can feel they are 'clogged' up with crud. It just feels bad and stuffy. So he has got us trained good!