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Original poster

Best London dentist? Are private dentist more thorough than NHS?

32 replies

AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 15:35

Went for a check up today at my dentist and was seen by a different dentist to the one I've seen before, who was nice enough but I'm not confident in the surgery on the whole. I've gone in several times saying I have some pain in a back tooth and it was xrayed every six months and said to be fine, now they've suddenly said it needs a deep filling and I just don't feel I'm in good hands.

It may need a root canal which would mean more xrays. Does that mean they're just doing very basic xraying at the moment? Would a private dentist do more comprehensive imaging as part of prevention and monitoring?

Who would you recommend in London?

Dentists completely overwhelm me, I'm very nervous and tearful thinking of having a deep filling beside the nerve, I find dealing with it all so hard.

I just want to feel safe, and confident that the dentist is doing the best job possible to keep me pain free. Obviously I'm quite aware I could still lose the tooth.

Also - if I've had three xrays in four appointments within the last year - is it still safe to have more xrays if I go to a new surgery? Is there a limit to how many you can have?

OP posts:
TopShagger · 08/05/2019 15:47

Can't speak to London dentists as I don't live in London. However, with regards the NHS vs private question, my answer based on my own experience is ABSOLUTELY YES.

Had some horrific NHS dentists, one was removing one of my wisdom teeth, lower jaw, and had his knee on my chest grunting and groaning pulling and twisting. Ended up snapping it and then said I'd have to go to a proper dentist to have the rest taken out! I looked like I'd been 3 rounds with Tyson and they wouldn't let me back out through the waiting room as there were children in there so I had to use the fire escape. And yes all of that happened exactly as I just described it with no embellishment.

I ignored it for a couple of years as in fairness it wasn't bothering me, but then the inevitable happened and it got infected so I had to get it removed. Signed up with a private practice and he was appalled and said there's no reason ANY dentist couldn't finish the job (and that it shouldn't have been broken or left like that in the first place) - no word of a lie I was in, jabbed, tooth removed, back in the car in under 10 minutes. Not a speck of blood in sight. The level of care (and skill) was immeasurably superior in my experience.

Ya pays ya money ya takes ya choice.

thisisthetime · 08/05/2019 15:54

I go to the Covent Garden dental practice. Would highly recommend. I have some issues with my jaw (caused by an nhs dentist) and they are the only dentist to really take it easy, not force me to open my mouth more than I want to and also they have given me completely different advice from nhs dentist on a tooth that needed removing. Basically it didn’t. And over a year later they’ve been proved right.
It costs approx £90 every 6 months to see the hygienist and ten a check up. I’ve never needed any additional work so can’t comment on that but they take the less is more approach.

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:07

Interesting, thank you. I've made an appointment with somebody based on their excellent reviews on Google. Hoping to find them patient and gentle, and helpful at managing pain if my tooth explodes into agony.

I love the NHS but very fed up of NHS dentistry. Not a pop at dentists, I assume all the problems with it stem from shit funding so they're set up to be rushed, stressed and demotivated.

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AlaskanOilBaron · 08/05/2019 19:09

I have an amazing NHS dentist. I went to a muy expensivo private dentist to have my sealed because I had a pre-cavity situation and she just chuckled and said, I would have done this for you for free, you dummy.

Skyejuly · 08/05/2019 19:10

All the private ones here are also NHS so same treatment.

MariaNovella · 08/05/2019 19:10

I really recommend www.thedentistgallery.com

Kummerspeck · 08/05/2019 19:14

I was told, for private ones, to look for Denplan Excel dentists as they have to hit extra standards to get the Excel rating
It's worked for my family so far

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:14

Can anyone clarify - do dentists ever actually prescribe painkillers for severe pain?

The dentist I had in my youth in Ireland would flat out refuse and tell you to take Nurofen plus. It didn't work.

In the UK, I have had one miserable dental infection which was completely shit and somebody prescribed me Naproxen but I don't remember if it was the dentist or my GP in the end. But I remember reluctance from one party and being so desperate.

I feel resentful because if I felt my pain would be taken seriously and people would help promptly, I would not be so scared of the process.

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Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:20

Ah fuck, the one I booked isn't a Denplan Excel.

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Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:23

The Dentist Gallery looks amazing! I really want to go there now, think I'll book my next hygiene appointment with them.

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arethereanyleftatall · 08/05/2019 19:24

My dh is both a private dentist and an nhs dentist. He's not unusual. So, you get the same quality of person often.

Bloodybridget · 08/05/2019 19:27

I changed dentist last year because I didn't feel mine was very thorough, I was an NHS patient there. Now I am a private patient at Charles Landau in Islington, I could have registered as NHS but I wanted an appointment quickly. I think they're really good.

Pipandmum · 08/05/2019 19:28

My Hammersmith NHS dentist was awful and was eventually fired but her replacement not much better. I go private now no complaints. They work exclusively for the clinic do but do nhs as well. Also are all foreign educated!

Pipandmum · 08/05/2019 19:28

Sorry to be clear they do NOT see nhs patients.

MariaNovella · 08/05/2019 19:29

Also are all foreign educated!

English dentists are just appallingly badly trained in the main.

Watwing · 08/05/2019 19:32

I've literally just had to go private after the NHS missed an infection for years (despite me making an appointment specifically on that tooth back in 2014 and being told not to worry). They did an okay job of a root canal but left me in pain so went private and no longer in pain plus have a comprehensive plan to help save the tooth.
I'll not be going back to the NHS for dentistry needs again.

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:34

What countries are known for their excellent dentistry nowadays? Surely the big UK dental schools are brilliant?

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Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:35

@Watwing I feel your pain, it's so frustrating.

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Thiswontendwell · 08/05/2019 19:36

Have always had excellent NHS dentists (north east England)
My sister has had huge problems with her private London ones.
But, as people point out, a lot of dentists do NHS and private work as well
(Oh - and never had a problem getting appts but I'm not in London)

Thiswontendwell · 08/05/2019 19:38

Oh - and have taken my disabled brother to my local dental hospital (which is a teaching hospital) not that long ago and had fabulous treatment - both from a dental point of view and the way they supported my brother....
Just sticking up for UK dental education!Grin

Orangecake123 · 08/05/2019 19:39

I went to a private dentist which had "dental spa" Confused written on the outside of the building. In my experience everyone is generally nicer when you're going private. My dentist was super smiley, played music too which helped with my anxiety as I hadn't been in 11 years because I was ashamed of the state of my teeth.

Original poster
AbsentmindedWoman · 08/05/2019 19:42

Yeah I know that dentists will do a mixed load of NHS and private I suppose I meant are there things you just don't get (and don't realise you are missing out on) if you are used to the public system. I have never gone privately before but am at the end of my tether.

The ones I saw today also have a private price list on their website but there's no way I'm paying them because I don't feel confident in them. Perhaps if I'd always visited them as a private client then I'd have had a different experience with more time and more careful examination, I don't know.

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HundredMilesAnHour · 08/05/2019 19:47

I go to an amazing, award-winning dentist called Keith Burns. He's in the City (near Blackfriars). I've been seeing him for almost a decade and he's done wonders with my teeth. I trust him completely. He's the best dentist I've ever had - it took me years of searching for a good dentist in London who didn't charge megabucks.

www.keithburnsdentist.co.uk/

stayingaliveisawayoflife · 08/05/2019 19:48

We go to gentle dental in Putney. They are great with nervous patients and do good pain relief. They even use numbing gel on your gums before injections!

DaydreamInBlue · 08/05/2019 20:01

www.toothstars.co.uk/dentists/london/london-ec-district/cannon-street/metrodental-cannon-street-practice/

Sanjay is amazing. I would 100% recommend him and the practice.