Disgusted By Dentists Behaviour!!!

[Windchangeface]

We moved home week before the pandemic and then non of the dentists were taking on patients.

This made me very nervous, I kept an eye out to jump as soon as they opened up.

Well...as of a few weeks ago 3/5 practises within a 15 mile radius of us put up notices on their websites ‘taking on new patients’ great I rang to register me, DH and small DS. But oh no, they aren’t taking on any NHS patients only private or Denplan! (Would cost us a minimum of £50 per month and I’m currently pregnant so should be free anyway). The receptionists at all 3 massively tried to sell me Denplan and actually made me feel like a total sponge for asking about NHS.

‘Most families prefer Denplan’ erm sorry Shannon but I highly doubt ‘most’ families prefer to spend £50+ per month on something that should be £20 a visit for them and free for their kids!

One of the receptionists even told me (in a very snooty tone) ‘no we aren’t taking NHS patients we’ve got enough of those) another stated ‘we’ve met our quota for NHS so are only taking paying patients’.

Given DH is a Dr who spends all day looking after hospital patients free of charge I’m at a loss to understand why dentists feel they’re above the NHS.

Horrible, elitist attitude excluding people who can’t afford to pay from adequate healthcare and forcing those who can to pay high premiums they shouldn’t have to!

What does someone do if they are on a low income and require dental work? I don't mean cosmetic work, I mean with that will relieve pain, make eating easier, etc.

Genuinely curious as I have been relatively lucky with my teeth. Only once have I needed urgent treatment (abscess) and at that time I want registered with any dental practice, so I went to the dental unit of a local hospital. They took care of be for free, but possibly input because I was a student at the time.

I'm now lucky enough to be registered as an NHS practice, but what if I wasn't? We're not on any benefits but £50 a month for private care (£100 including DH) would be too expensive for us.

@Crimblecrumble1990

I agree OP. I haven't been able to find a NHS accepting dentist practice in years but I thought children would be different. Tried to register my baby and it's a 4 year waiting list. I guess NHS dentistry just isn't really a thing anymore, I was surprised as assumed it was like an NHS GP practice.

The private ones in my area accept children as nhs if parents are private. Have you tried that? Mine are covered that way, still pay for hygienist and braces privately but everything else is nhs.

Are you able to stay with your old dentist? Emergency work is unusual so for a couple of check ups a year it might be worth the journey? I'm lucky and am with an excellent NHS practice but I know a lot of adults who aren't - they only go when they're in pain and miss out the checkups. Contact your health authority and they'll let you know about spaces.

I'm not sure how dental services got so bad to be honest. They have put money before ethical and moral responsibilities. It actually really pisses me off.

Did you ask if they have a waiting list? We had to wait for a year but now all the family have NHS dental care. We all had our normal check ups a couple of weeks ago and I went to the hygienist as well. My dentist is a bit lacking in bedside manner but I think that's just his personality!

I am an nHs dentist patient (20 years) as is the whole family DH joined 15 years ago.

The kids are free so that is brilliant

We pay a NHS price for a check up. Then we also both use the private hygenist. When you need work they show you the nhs stuff and price and what you can get privately.

Then when I needed to have some difficult work done on my tooth the NHS didn’t cover it so had to go to a private clinic (tbf he was an amazing dentist did a brilliant pain free root canal that saved me needing a crown)

All told being NHS as adults probably saves us £50 a year as we pay privately for everything else

I pay £40 for a private check up. That includes X-rays and is a 30 minute consultation. I don’t think that’s much more than paying for NHS.

Also, saying this with kindness, why were you ‘very nervous’ at not being able register with a dentist? If you needed a dentist in an emergency, 111 can refer you. You sound a little bit anxious. It’s hardly comparable to a GP.

I think with your husband being a doctor, you can probably understand that the dental sector is also slammed.

We are lucky to be on NHS dental care but we have lived where we are for over twenty years. I don't think there's been a practice taking on NHS patients for years in our city - it's all private or the monthly plan you were talking about.

I've always known that if we move, that will be one of the things we'll have to factor in - not being able to get on to another dentist's books as NHS patients. They can't afford to keep afloat on what they make from the NHS so have to limit numbers, I'm afraid.

You go through NHS 111 for severe pain or dental emergency if you are not registered with a dentist.

YANBU

Our dentist won't take on adult NHS patients either - most don't. But it doesn't need to be £50 per month . My policy is something like £60-100 per year I think. Then I pay about £80 for an anuual check-up and clean.

They offer slightly different policies dependng on your level of need. My husband pays a bit more on the basic policy but gets free or cheaper check-ups.

Absolutely! Had to see my dentist several times in last year and all were “emergency “ non routine issues- assess, tooth breaking . I was pregnant also so should have been free but could only get an appointment if I paid with my dentist as a private patient ! Technically “could” get an appointment but would have been months away whereas if I paid it was “we can see you this week!” Was very annoyed as spent several hundred pounds which I couldn’t really afford on maternity leave!

I'm not sure exactly on how the funding works but am aware that each practice gets a set amount each financial year so might be worth checking again in April.
We all have nhs a dentist in my family. It costs enough if you need anything done without having to pay a dental plan on top of that and I would class us as middle income. I haven't ever received less than great care either.

I tried to register at my nearest dentist, all fine and asked me to come in to get paperwork. I then mentioned I was pregnant so had an exemption for the time being, and suddenly "oh, um, sorry we're not taking on NHS patients, my mistake."
Second nearest dentist took me on, registered me over the phone and said to remember to bring my certificate so I didn't get charged.

We're fortunate enough to have NHS places at our dentist, however they wouldn't see us for a checkup during the last year 'due to Covid', even though they're still seeing their private patients for the same .

@picknmix1984

I'm not sure how dental services got so bad to be honest. They have put money before ethical and moral responsibilities. It actually really pisses me off.

Do share what financial sacrifice you make in your income to demonstrate how you put ethical and moral responsibilities above financial considerations?

The mark of a civilised nation is how it decides what is worth funding.
Imo dentistry should be available on the NHS that everyone pays for, its not free.
The brits are renowned for their awful teeth.
And dentists earn more than doctors.
My dgs has to go privately as the NHS dentist just changed to private overnight.
They tried to charge £58 for a 10 minute check up.
My ds queried the price and they halved it, apparently it was a mistake.

In France the government pay 70%. We pay insurance top up for health, optional, and get the full amount back.

dentalchoices.org/find-nhs-dentist/

For the kids and yourself.

I’ve just had to pay private fees for an appointment as they haven’t any NHS appointments for 7 months.. cost £640 😣

Don’t shriek about dentists they don’t like this any more than the public do.

The issue is the funding model for NHS dentistry. The responsibility lies for that with the government.

Lobby your MP but the current govt are too busy diverting millions to their mates to pay for things the country actually needs

My dc were nhs patients at my local dentist. Now they have decided that children will have to be on a version of denplan with a monthly payment. I don’t agree with that in principle at all but there are no other dentists locally accepting new nhs patients.

You don't have to go on Denplan.
You can register with a private dentist & go once a year, if you've generally got good teeth it won't be ridiculously expensive. Better than not being registered at all.
Your dc will be free until they're 18.
You'll have a very long wait for an NHS dentist even if you find a practice taking on new patients.
And a junior Dr wage is significantly higher than many other wages, you might like to look what the minimum wage is.
Being derogatory over someone's name isn't too nice either.

Dentists are not paid the same way GPs Are, and definitely not in the way that hospital Dr's are.

They are self employed, run their own premises and purchase their own equipment and pay their own staff etc. They have to cover all the bills etc. Inc annual subscriptions and insurance etc and to complete professional qualifications annually. The NHS agrees a contract with the practice to cover a certain number of patients and a certain amount of dental activity which is counted in UDAs, they get the same number of UDAs for example. If they do 10 fillings as if they do one. If they do too much work they do not get any extra money, if they do less UDAs than their contract they have to pay money back.

Yabu, nhs dentists are treated like shit.

It's hugely difficult. I live on an island, and there are zero dentists taking on NHS patients. I have lived back here for 6 years now, haven't found a space in all that time.

Managed to get the kids in, which was the priority really. Sadly my teeth are now fucked due to jaw clenching, can't afford to rectify right now so keeping my fingers crossed.

@Windchangeface

I only mentioned DH being a Dr to point out we are a ‘pro nhs’ family who do understand the issues the nhs face and aren’t entitled.

I’m surprised at the volume who hear Dr and think ‘you earn loads of money’ erm no, we don’t. Junior dr wages are very average. We are an average income young family in a pricey area (stuck here for work). We can’t afford £50+ a month on dental care without feeling that significantly and I’m not apologetic about that!

NHS doctor foundation year salaries range from nearly £39k to nearly £50k. For anyone any was interested.