To think my dentist could refer me when they can’t help?

[G123454321]

My dentist has told me I need an oral surgeon for an impacted wisdom tooth. They’re nhs and would expect my wait to be forever. As my private health insurance will cover that as a surgical procedure, I asked them to refer me.

I was told they never do that. They only use the nhs online system for nhs referrals and that if a client chooses to go private, they have to basically start over with the private place they choose.

I understand that but surely this situation has come up before? I’ve had to ask for something in writing basically proving I have seen a dentist who’s said I need a surgeon.

I have to wait and see if she will be able to put something together. 🤦🏻‍♀️

That does seem ridiculous. An NHS GP can write a private referral latter, so I don't see why the dentist can't.

Exactly what I thought! I even said that with my gp if I need a specialist and don’t want to wait on nhs I can use my insurance with a private referral.

She didn’t want to address it to someone specific as didn’t want to specify what I needed doing.

I said it literally doesn’t have to be addressed to anyone. Just that you’re my dentist who has seen me and my problem needs a surgeon for further investigation.
God knows what I’m gonna end up with emailed to me! At least it’s something.
I was really shocked that they didn’t know what a referral letter was.

My nhs dentist has referred me twice to a private practice simply because they specialise in a particular area that she does not. NHS paid for this. Insist on referral.

Thats balls. Ring your provider and ask them to provide a list of approved oral surgeons in your area and just make a direct referral to them.

Isn't that how private medical insurance works? If I want to see a specialist privately I've always had to go to a GP first for a referral letter, then contact Bupa and arrange seeing the specialist myself. Sounds like this is the same situation but with a dentist?

@TedMullins

Isn't that how private medical insurance works? If I want to see a specialist privately I've always had to go to a GP first for a referral letter, then contact Bupa and arrange seeing the specialist myself. Sounds like this is the same situation but with a dentist?

This! Exactly!!

Her exact words were “we don’t really do that kind of thing, it’s all nhs online”
That if I want to go private for further investigation I can but to start over.., I know that! But my insurance needs proof that my tooth’s ripping through an inch below the others!!

Apparently she’s never seen anything like it. That helped. Not.

Oh I see, so they WON'T write the referral letter? I misunderstood, sorry, I thought you meant you wanted the dentist to directly contact a private specialist for you rather than finding one yourself. OK, yeah that's ridiculous then. She should write you the letter. Even if she hasn't come across it before surely it's not hard to write one...

Explain to her that all you need is a couple of lines so that the insurer knows you've seen a dentist who says you need to see an oral surgeon. She doesn't need to go into detail - the specialist will do their own assessment. (Sometimes nobody ever looks at the referral letter - I've known the insurer take my word for it that I have one, and then the specialist hasn't wanted to see it either.)

I've just had a phone call with an email for a referral letter!
Thank god for that.
I need this never seen before miracle marvel of a bar steward tooth ripped out asap.