Nhs Dental care is abysmal?

[pumpkinsweetie]

So here we are a family of 7, no vechile and cannot get an nhs dentist anywhere in our are.
We cannot afford to go private as it is extortion. So me and dh have what we think is an abscess each and we cannot get anyone in the area to accept new nhs patients and dentaline are always to busy to offer us an appointment

So tonight dh is screaming in agony and I phoned dentaline Again, only to be told they are too busy again, so I tried 111 who are basically useless as a chalk in a swimming pool, and tried to refer him back to dentaline, of course we explained no appointments were available, so half hour later a clinician phoned us back and again useless, cannot help him in any way, just the useless info of trying all the painkillers he has already tried and failed
as he has previously mentioned.
He asked whether the hospital would help him, apparently no he mustn't go there. He is now rocking back and forth and screaming and nothing is working.

When did our Nhs dentistry get so useless, that someone has to sit and suffer in extreme agony possibly with an abscess without any help??
Disgusting, aibu to be extremely peeved, and anyone any advice what to do with extreme dental pain? tia

[Methe]

I was kicked off a list for not going to appointment where I used to live too, it's not uncommon.

Sometimes I think most of mumsnet have absolutely no idea what it's like outside their little SE bubble

pumpkin, have you tried Anbesol liquid? Dh had terrible problems with abscesses untill we found a decent dentist and Anbesol liquid was the only thing that touched the pain.(you dab it on.. Not drink it)

[Methe]

111 nurses may be able to advise on pain relief but that's about it unfortunately.

[DidoTheDodo]

OP, I can give you the name of an NHS dentist on a train line in your county. Please see my previous post.

[specialsubject]

looks like dentists are the new landlords on here..

'all NHS dentistry is shite'
'dentists are only out to make money'

etc etc etc
the reasons why access to NHS dentistry is so uneven are well documented and are due to the usual, mismanagement and stupid financial decisions.

but no need for the bile-spewing.

BTW if you are short of money and still buying sparkly tat then you need to think hard. No crap for Christmas never hurt anyone.

[PacificDogwood]

No, I meant that 111 would be able to signpost to dental care available to the OP other than Dentaline.
But maybe not. Which is no good, is it?

[GwenStacy]

I known people who have had luck getting treatment here - you do have to turn up and hope there's spaces though www.kch.nhs.uk/patientsvisitors/patients/dental-patients/urgent-dental-care

[Methe]

They will have a list of open practices which are accepting new patients so it might be worth a try but I doubt it. You are right, it is no good.

All the 111/Nhsd nurses I worked with were made redundant last year. I don't work there any more either so I couldn't tell you what emergency dental provision there is here any more.

[OOAOML]

I agree with those who say back to a&e. This afternoon, before any Saturday night rush. Surely an abscess that bad will be causing more problems the longer it is left? If there is nobody there who can do anything (presume it needs lanced and drained) they will surely be able to do something about the pain?

[spanieleyes]

It's years since I've found a dentist who will see a patient on NHS outside of Mon-Fri 10-4

My NHS dentist is open 9-5 on three days a week, 9-7 on the other and on Saturday is open from 9-4, in fact I've just come back from an appointment!

[pumpkinsweetie]

Hello special sparkly the tat oh why of course, yes I am really out right now buying a pair of Pat Butcher earrings whilst my dh screams in pain, unable to afford a dentist. .. (pulls sarcastic face).

There is an issue, and I am stating that fact.
The issue is caused by the government cut backs, and the NHS has little choice and resources in what they spend the money they do have.

I don't blame the dentist's for wanting to make money, I blame the governments, now and previous, for ruining, what was the NHS as it originally stood. Free care for all, and I am just saying it isn't available to all is it, or we wouldn't be in this situation. .

There are still many, many still brilliant parts of the NHS, but it is a shame expenses mean more to our PM than our crumbling NHS.

[Methe]

Do you live in Thanet Spaniel?

[DaisyFlowerChain]

Just ring a private practice and ask for a price. It's no good waiting until the pain is too much to handle then complaining about it.

If you can afford five children then you can afford a one off dental treatment and then make a back up plan for next time. Surely you have your children registered anyway?

[pumpkinsweetie]

Thanks Gwen but it is at Kings, far too far and too expensive to get too x.

[yippeekiyay2]

Yanbu about nhs dentistry, it is a total postcode lottery. I have lived in the north east, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and now in cumbria. East Midlands was fine if you were prepared to drive out somewhere, cumbria is shocking. You have to register on a county list just to wait to be assigned an nhs dentist. The first one they assigned us was so awful with our dd only 3 at the time that I almost made an official complaint (someone did shortly after it was in the local paper) so I asked to be put back on the waiting list. The one we have now, the actual dentist is brilliant but you can't get check up appointments, when I asked for one after about six months the receptionist laughed and said they were still making appointments from 2 years back! My dd baby teeth are falling out now and while her new teeth are growing in I want her to get regular checks so i think we're going to have to go private. It is wrong that nhs services are so location dependent.

[pumpkinsweetie]

What dentist is it Spaniel is it in thanet? If so would it be possible to have the phone number please?

[pumpkinsweetie]

Daisy don't start with the affording 5 children crap, do be a dear will you.
And there isn't a private dentist I have encountered that is either not busy or closed at this present time, thank you very much.

[spanieleyes]

No, sorry I didn't mean local to you, just commenting on the point that NHS dentists only work 10-4!

[Mrsmorton]

The PCT/LAT or whoever they are now, decide where to commission nhs dentistry so if you think its not right then make sure you tell them.

What they seem to do is discourage small practices from providing nhs care by offering them ridiculous contract values to make it untenable to continue. They prefer corporate dentistry in a large practice centrally.

[EnlightenedOwl]

Not many NHS practices here. (North West) mine went private many moons ago Luckily I can afford the £13.00 p/m which covers check ups and so on but I do worry about cost of treatment should I need any. Although think you can get an interest free loan from the Denplan scheme for treatment.

[pumpkinsweetie]

yipee I agree, totally shocking isn't it.
Tried to get into Adp in Sandwich as I have been told they are taking on, phoned them this morning and they said the waiting list goes way up until the end of January_february.
Would only accept us on to list if we get there and sign forms, both of us, which I will do on Monday as dh is in no fit state to get there just to sign a form to be seen in February

[Mrsmorton]

owl most capitation fees cover treatment except for lab fees which you would pay at cost, is that not how yours works?

[DaisyFlowerChain]

Presumably the abscess didn't appear at the time you posted and most private practices will see emergency patients the first day.

Why is it "crap" to mention that you could pay if you choose, not everything in life is free.

[pumpkinsweetie]

If all fails tomorrow, going to have to use the credit card and get him seen by someone really local privately on mon if he can. Nothing is open today and I have exhausted all options now.

A & E really isn't an option and it isn't fair for them to take the burden either

[pumpkinsweetie]

Daisy It is crap, read about what the NHS was originally set up for... free for all.
I guess you are in the Cameron camp, well dear, when you end up on your behind in excruciating pain on mw after being in a decent well paying job, and find out you didn't have a crystal ball, get back to me will you.

[TheFairyCaravan]

ADP are usually quite good wrt seeing emergencies. Our local one would never turn you away, registered or not. If you get no luck before Monday morning, I'd be inclined to be on the phone as soon as they open, explaining how bad DH is and begging them to see him.