AIBU to expect to be able to use an NHS dentist?

[sophde]

Grr I have just been contacted by my children's dentist to say that they are no longer an NHS dentist and so we will need to pay for consultations and any treatment required.

We are trapped as there doesnt seem to be an NHS dentist in our town - they only one I have heard of is around 30 miles away and they may not be taking on new patients anyway.

In the scheme of things I can afford the fees but it makes me very angry that we should have to - does the NHS provide dentistry or not?

Many dentists would have been trained in NHS facilities and so should show some loyalty to providing a public health service.

By ending free consultations etc we are storing up problems fo the future as

Can anyone explain what the problem is?

Is it dentists being too greedy and demanding fees that the NHS cant pay? Is it the NHS not being flexible enough? Why is dentistry seen as a bit of an add on, not a core NHS service?

There have been a few threads on the topic of nhs dentists recently,you might look through those. It seems there are issues in many areas, especially post covid.

As an adult unless you’re paying for big procedures the price difference isn’t huge.

I was sat in my dentist listening to her tell an NHS patient there were no appointments for 3 weeks. I’d made my appointment that morning. There was plenty of room for me as a private patient. I know it’s a pain to pay for the kids but it’s worth it.

The NHS provides dentistry, but dentists are private practitioners and can’t be forced to provide a service if they don’t think it’s financially viable. Essentially. When the NHS was formed, the dentistry model was somewhat different to the rest of the NHS. NHS dentistry needs to be funded better, so that dentists can offer the service.

I think the idea that dentists should repay their training through providing their services to the state at reduced cost is untenable. We don’t demand it of anyone else who received a free state education or training in any other professions or vocation.

If they're going private it means the NHS isn't funding them appropriately for their time and skills, which isn't shocking. I work in another area where it's part NHS part private and the NHS don't fund us appropriately either. The average cost to provide an appointment where I work is about £17 more than what the NHS compensate us with. We have to make up the £17 from private patients or by selling private products on top. It's unsustainable for many businesses to do this and therefore they do private only.