To think Dentists are the new Lawyers/Estate Agents

[dougieroseagain]

ie social pariahs.

I am trying to find a good dentist. Well, any dentist. We moved regions and I left behind my lovely dentist where my kids went free and I paid (as a private patients) really quite reasonable rates.

I am now trying to register in the new area and the rates are extortionate.

£29 for a kid's check up.
£110 for me. For a check up.

I found another dentist where it was £20 for a kid's check up but they wanted to sell me their plan which costs £5 a month. ie £60 a year. But my kids' teeth are fine - they don't have fillings and the previous dentist was delighted with their teeth. So why should I pay £60 a year when 2 check ups will cost £40 a year?

THIS is why sodding American dentists can afford to spend $35,000 killing a lion.

I have found a reasonably priced dentist about 20 miles from where we live, but there is a registration waiting list of 5 months. I'm not suprised - it's the only dentist in the area which still has NHS places for kids and the check ups are only £18 for an adult.

THIS IS WHY THE NATION'S TEETH ARE FALLING APART. Dentists are pricing normal people out of going to the dentist. Yes, I know they have to buy the equipment and keep the place hygienic. But £110 for a check up is ridiculous.

Yep, lawyer here, and so is DH so don't really feel inclined to engage with you OP.

Kind of makes me not care about your teeth, somehow.

My crown fell out for no reason. Is that normal? Staff turnover rate at my dental surgery is very high so I can't get original dentist to fix it so am having to pay to get it done again, but have no idea what went wrong in the first place

My hygienist charges £45 for a basic clean and £68 for the deluxe. I remember when dentists used to do a scale and polish at every check up.

While there are great dentists out there (and I have had one), seemingly a lot are doing the bare minimum. I've had check ups which have lasted literally one minute!

Is the OP coming back at all?

No?

Why start a thread to goad people then run away?

Can I ask what your job is OP?

Which part of the UK are you? I have a private dentist and paid £72 for a check up and clean of my teeth.

NHS dentistry is poor quality because the dentist does not have enough time to spend with the patient and the materials they are allowed to use are poor quality. Since I change to a private dentist I have found I have spent less on dentistry than when I was with the NHS.

NHS dentistry is poor quality because the dentist does not have enough time to spend with the patient and the materials they are allowed to use are poor quality - what materials exactly? And my dentist is a mix of NHS and private but each of their appointment slots are the same time span (think its 15 minute slots?) no matter the patient category

So can you give more detail about what you are saying ReallyTired?

"NHS dentistry is poor quality because the dentist does not have enough time to spend with the patient and the materials they are allowed to use are poor quality - "

My son had some filling in his baby teeth. The fillings were mercury free amalgam fillings and constantly fell out. This resulted in my son getting having even bigger fillings in his baby teeth and more pain. We were in a cycle of drill and fill.

I changed him to a private dental practice were he had (resin composite) white fillings that were put into the teeth in layers. He did have one filling partially fall out of a baby tooth, but he did not lose the entire filling because it was in layers.

My son has had dental education. He had diet analaysis. He has been taught how to brush his teeth effectively. Every six months the dental hygienist cleans his teeth, puts on topical fluroride on his teeth. Ds has had fissure sealents on his adult back teeth. Inspite of the fact that six of his baby teeth were filled, ds has no fillings in his mouth at the age of 13 now. (The baby teeth that had decay have fallen out.)

The pricing structure of NHS dentistry does not encourage dental practices to invest in dental education. Dentists make money by drill and fill.

What is mercury free amalgam? The word amalgam (in the context of materials) means containing mercury.

Anyway, you get what you pay for unfortunately and the government doesn't think dentistry is worth paying for.

Drill and fill isn't what makes money, I think reallytired you are under informed about the subject. A dentist earns the same from ten fillings as he does from one. Where is the incentive to drill and fill more than one tooth? Same with extractions vs root canal treatment. Same payment, vastly different costs.

The new dental model will change things to put the responsibility back on the patient, I won't go into it because I got my arse handed to me on here last time I tried to explain it.

At least they are piloting the new model rather than just imposing it, it is an enormous amount of paperwork and I remain to be convinced whether dentists will agree to it and actually have the time to work it properly.

I am not an expert, but there are filling materials that chemically bond to the teeth. With private dentistry you can pay for the best materials that money can buy. If money is no object you can pay for ozone to disinfect the tooth cavity before filling the tooth.

I'm so upset with the treatment my daughter has had recently by our NHS dentist I want to make a complaint. We'd actually left our last practice about 5 years ago because I was unhappy with the treatment there so I don't think it's about one unlucky experience.

Dentists do not make money by drill and fill in the NHS. It is not pay per item - unlike private - here are the banding charges. You pay the same for 5 fillings as you do for 1.

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1781.aspx?CategoryID=74

Make a complaint then Lem. There is literally nothing stopping you complaining directly to the GDC so they can spend £78k investigating the treatment that you are upset about.

Reallytired I know this, I've been a dentist for quite some time, I'm just concerned that your child's tooth was filled with something you were told was mercury free amalgam when there is no such thing.

So many armchair experts on the subject of dentistry.

I think if you look back over the last 30 years or so, it is clear that the nation's teeth are in a much better state since dentistry turned largely private.

We have loads of NHS dentists in this part of Surrey, and they can afford to invest in the latest technology and training on the back of their private patients, to the benefit of all.

I pay about £25 a month for membership to my local practice, which entitles me to 4 cleanings and checkups a year, 20% off any treatment, and worldwide insurance. I think this is a good deal.

DH and I are practice members, which automatically entitles the children to NHS treatment.

I've had both amalgam and resin/composite (?) fillings and the resin things have given me more problems than the amalgam.

It seems to be a matter of whether the bonding stuff actually bonds in the resin one!

And I'm a private patient by the way...

We have an excellent NHS dentist and have only paid the standard rates for anything not covered by the NHS eg white filings , crowns

One of our children has had thousands of pounds worth of othrdontic work done on the NHS , we've not paid a penny

The younger children get fissure sealant done at school

I go to a private dentist and yes it costs. But if my car needs repair that costs even more and service MOT etc also cost. Dentists are professional people with long training and these days big debts to start their career. Lawyers also cost a lot. You get what you pay for. NHS dental care is just a mopping up for those without enough cash.

Stacey they may get fluoride varnish applied at school but fissure sealants require excellent moisture control and usually are set with a curing light. I'd be surprised if they got fissure sealants at school. I think they have to be used under a Patient Specific Directive which means individually prescribed by a dentist whereas fluoride varnish is used under a Patient Group Directive and so can be applied to a large population without specific prescription.

I'd be interested to know as I'm not aware of any fissure sealing programmes outside of the actual dental practice.

Just to add another point regarding dental education:-

Isnt that also the job of a parent?
To acquaint themselves with the facts and teach their child about correct brushing and avoidance of sugary and acidic foods/drinks?

The dentist can educate until they are blue in the face but if a parent isn't enforcing rules about dental hygiene then they are wasting their time.

I didn't realise lawyers and estate agents were social pariahs.

I do think there should be more NHS dentists, and I do think that dental care on the NHS should cost less.

As I get older, I can see I will need to take out a dental plan.

I'm guessing this is the way healthcare will go generally.

I also think my (NHS)dentist does treatment he doesn't need to do. I refused to have a crown 18 months ago. I simply didn't have the £200+ it would cost. My tooth is still fine. But that's another story.

Angie do you understand that the fees are set centrally and always have been?

No one has answered whether film
Studies students should have to work for the state?

Oh they should MrsMorton -

The other point as well (which the government accepts) is that the fees are not adjusted in line with inflation.

I'm wondering what film studies students could usefully do for the state?