Dentist only doing aerosol on private patients?

[Crimples]

Our dentist has resumed aerosol procedures on private patients only stating that they are strictly instructed by the NHS to not provide this to NHS patients.
They’ve also increased the cost to take account of extra time and PPE required.
Surely if it’s a risk, it’s a risk, whether you pay big bucks or not?
YABU = It’s fair
YANBU= it’s a bit cheeky

If the NHS have instructed them not to do it, and presumably therefore won’t pay for it, what other choice do they have?

It’s the commissioning that prevents them. It’s their choice on private patients but not for NHS.

Dentists have always offered different levels of service to private and nhs patients.

The extra risk needs to be compensated for as far as possible by the dentist which comes at extra cost.

I’m waiting for a crown. My dentist isn’t doing any aerosol procedures yet for anyone. I’d happily pay extra to get it over with.

I understand the need to generate income in any way they can. Maybe it’s the NHS that are in the wrong and should allow all practices that have started pps to also do NHS? Surely if they’ve been deemed safe to practice it should apply to all

They also have woefully little time to treat NHS patients so maybe cleaning is an issue. The problem is with NHS patients being inadequately funded for years.

Unfortunately you have found that you can get dental procedures done privately, which the NHS will not fund so allow the dentist to do on the NHS.

I'm surprised you haven't found this before. It is a factor in all healthcare provision in the UK.

Whilst it’s undoubtedly unfair, it’s not the dentist who is choosing to make this distinction. It’s that the NHS have a blanket ban on aerosol procedures so won’t pay/endorse treatment. What the dentist does in their private practice is up to them, so naturally some of them have started work on private patients - a) they need to earn money and b) a modern world without any access to dentistry is pretty barbaric (I appreciate plenty of people in the world also don’t have dental care, that is also barbaric). Hopefully the NHS will follow suit soon.

So, YABU, because the dentist can not provide NHS care, not that they are choosing not to

Luckily I don’t actually need anything (touch wood)
It just struck me as unfair, how awful to be In pain, desperate for treatment and unable to afford it.
Too much like the American system for my liking

They are a business at the end of the day and entirely up to them how they run. PPE costs money and chances are without charging extra for this, they would close.

Many businesses will be increasing their prices to not only try and recover from the lack of earnings over the past couple of months, but for all the PPE and extra cleaning costs.

OP, the NHS would have to agree to cover the extra cost. It’s not just the PPE - that’s needed for all procedures - it’s the “downtime” while they wait for the ventilation to achieve a complete air change in the surgery, and sterilise every surface where the aerosol may have landed.
This can take between 15 mins and an hour, depending on the sophistication of their vent system. During that time, they can’t bring in another patient, but still have to pay staff costs and overheads. It isn’t financially viable, unless the NHS hugely increases the fee per service that they pay the dental practice.

Under normal circumstances I appreciate that people opt for private dentistry for cosmetic and/or convenience/time scale reasons which is perfectly understandable.
I suppose most of you are right in that this isn’t really a new thing.
I’m not sure why it doesn’t sit comfortably with me somehow.

This is very much a result of the NHS being crap though. The British are brainwashed into believing that you have a good healthcare system and many as a result fail to take out adequate insurance (and make other financial decisions) accordingly. Then they’re left facing either a hefty bill or inadequate healthcare when they fall ill. The NHS and the government need to be more explicit in encouraging the public to take responsibility for their own healthcare. The alternative that you allude to is that private healthcare professionals should refuse treatment to people who’ve done the right thing and made provision for themselves in the interest of being ‘fair’.

If you work you have to pay for treatment anyway. Depending on the deals the dentist used to have sometimes it worked out not much more for private.

Emergency treatment was always expensive.

Yes, it certainly seems the fault lies at the feet of gross underfunding of the NHS rather than individual practices.
I will redirect my frustration towards the government 😊

The idea that the NHS says they shouldn't be doing it is their convenient interpretation of what is being said. I had a tooth out last week at an emergency dental hub, they were appalled my own dentist was refusing as were the A and E staff at the local hospital. Dental hub staff were excellent in every way and showed gumption. The PPE/risk is the same in a hub or normal dentist or for private/NHS patients. I wouldn't spit on my own dentist never mind clap for them, there are many dentists not covering themselves in any kind of Covid glory and generally showing they couldn't give a stuff. ''Tis all very revealing ...

It just struck me as unfair, how awful to be In pain, desperate for treatment and unable to afford it.

You can often have a different kind of treatment. I could have my tooth extracted if I wanted but I can’t have the crown done at the moment.

And dentists have always had extras like this not covered by the NHS. Same with Opticians, gps etc.

At least it's a blanket ban and not postcode lottery like some none optional medical treatment.

Next week I am getting a filling done, been in pain since lockdown, dentist is private (no NHS near me) they are charging a fixed price by the hour of £350 plus £25 for ppe at each appointment.

I need it done, hope it can be done in a hour (also have a broken tooth and a problem with a crown)

I'm amazed you've only just realised now the NHS is underfunded @Crimples. It's been talked about for years,

@Bearnecessity yes, your experience is the kind of thing that makes me uneasy.
What is the difference between these hubs and normal practices?

@canigooutyet Not really, of course it’s well known but I suppose it doesn’t hit home when you’ve always been lucky enough to receive excellent care (including dental) on the NHS whenever it’s been needed

@Howhighsthewaterpa6 hope it goes well (and quickly!) 💐

Hi Crimples, according to the 5ft nothing slip of a hero dentist at the emergency hub, there is no difference. Dangly bits between the legs seems to be the only difference. Not only are general dentists letting down entire communities of people in real need they are putting incredible pressure on those in the hubs and hospital clinics doing magnificent work. A long hard look in the mirror is called for I think.

I'm a dentist in Scotland. Mixed practice- NHS and private/denplan.
It isn't fair. Two rules. Health improvement Scotland deemed it safe for private practices to crack on, with appropriate ( enhanced and very expensive PPE- approximately £38 per operator), but NHS/Chief dental officer has completely banned it.
Like I said , it isn't fair, but financially totally not viable...
in saying that, there are urgent dental hubs that will carry out some aerosol generating procedures such as drilling to remove a hot pulp, but the surgery then needs a "fallow time" of about an hour after the procedure, so it isn't financially viable for practices.
The only hope I feel, is to reduce the Covid level, or perhaps universally testing all patients...
it's not the dentists fault. Trust me. We'd much rather be working

If the NHS has advised dentists not to undertake certain procedures then they cannot do them because they will have no professional liability insurance.
It is not the fault of the dentists. Blame this shitshow government.