To think this must be making dentists life difficult?

[denimflowers]

Just a caveat that I'm sure this is all covid and it's crap for everyone. I know I am BU really. Just very miserable at the moment

Dentist check ups were all stood down over covid and then I've had 3 cancelled due to dentist cancelled / I had covid / covid in the house etc etc. All rebooked but pushed back later and later. Cancel in February rebooked to July - nothing sooner. The only option is routine check up or severe pain / emergency appt with whoever free in the practice.

Obviously I've now entered a dental disaster period. Out of nowhere I've got 4 teeth that are hurting. Went for emergency appt, had to have an extraction. Appointment lasted over an hour as complicated then needed 4 more emergency appointment due to complications (stitches / infection / dry socket etc) - I guess this could have been possibly been avoided with a sooner check up.

Every time I've seen a different dentist there they've all said the same - you need a good check up / full X-rays so we can get a full plan of what's going on and needed. But there aren't any appointments. All I can have is a patch up job as emergency and wait for July - and hope that isn't cancelled too.

Surely every time I go in for an emergency it's more work (especially as I'm the sort that nothing ever goes smoothly for). I don't even know how they fit in routine treatment after a check up as that doesn't seem to be an option. I'm on a waiting list for a cancellation check up but my work in a hospital means I can't just drop and run easily.

I'm exhausted with the mental load of this. How I'm going to get the next problem sorted, how will I manage work, how am I going to eat at the moment as it's all uncomfortable. I'm not sleeping and losing weight.

I know it's shit for dentists too though. They can't like working like this either.

Sounds awful OP, YANBU to so frustrated. Hope you get it all sorted soon.

I don't think it's a nationwide issue though, our dentist has operated normal appointments since may/June 2020.

It does sound awful. It must be regional, though, as my dentist stayed open apart from the first lockdown. I’ve had at least 4 check-ups since Covid, an extraction when my tooth cracked and two hygienist appointments.

Ah I went in May so it must only have shut for the first two months.

I can't understand why Covid is making things so bad in the UK, I mean it exists everywhere, not just there! I'm in Italy, had toothache Friday morning, called the dentist and they saw me the same day, I know that's exceptional but I've been to the dentist several times in the last two years and never had to wait more than a few days. Same for the Dr, I can see him usually the same or next day, I even saw him in March 2020 when were in the height of lockdown. WTF is going on over there. No disrespect to Medics and Dentists as I know they are working their backsides off, but several family members in UK are really suffering for having to wait so long for treatment. 🙁

@timeforteanow I am on the waiting list for a cancellation with my dentist but I didn't think of phoning regularly as well so I might try that - help keep me in their thoughts. I work full time in a hospital and I'm not allowed to just leave for an appointment so I do wonder how many times they will offer and me have to say no before they sack me off completely!

@peridito I've been 4 times in emergency slots in the last month all to do with abscess / 1 tooth extraction and all the complications after (that always seems to happen to me with anything medical) - each time I've asked about all the other issues I have and they've had a very quick poke about and said 'you need a proper check up to find out what's wrong, not enough time in this slot, it's an emergency slot - but if you're in agonising pain, phone for an emergency appointment and we will try and help' 🤷‍♀️ so no, they wouldn't do that.

@CrashBandicootOnSanityBeach yes I would say the rebooks are getting later and later each time. They seems much more behind now than a year ago. I guess it's cumulative.

I'm very glad I have an NHS dentist and I guess I just have to suck it up in order to have an NHS place - they do trust us quite well at the surgery despite all that. They even do root canals on the NHS which didn't happen in my last county. I have friends who have lost their NHS place over covid and can't find another and have no money for private. I have friends paying £4-5k for a series of check ups, cleans, an extraction and a few filling - probably similar to what I need....

@LittleRen all dentists had to close during the first lockdown unless they were a hub I believe. Then it was surgery specific as to haw fast they got up and running - I guess staff leaving (some dentists have left my surgery), lots of people needing lots of work (like me now!) and lots of cancellations when staff or patients had covid.

Our dentist closed and started appts again but have now decided they are going private, I was supposed to have my last appointment before they changed to private last week but that got cancelled by the dentist, there is no nhs dentists available within the south west with space available, more and more are changing to private and we can afford the private costs

@CaptainofmyownShip that is a particularly chilling read....

The thing is here that if I'm in pain, I can see a dentist on the same day - which is great. The issues in our surgery is the delay for routine which means problems are waiting longer and longer to be found and creating more emergency work which is making the delay even worse.

No idea what the answer is though.

We're south west too. Not a single NHS slot in my county. All 2yr plus waiting list. Cornwall apparently is a 7yr wait if that's true 🤷‍♀️. I'm glad I have an NHS place but I guess this is what I have to expect if I have one. I can't afford private at all so I have no choice but to suck it up. And hope my surgery doesn't go all private.

I missed 18 months of checkups as mine closed for all but emergencies (has an emergency extraction of a failed root canal in July 2020). They have now reopened and at my first checkup I needed 3 fillings, for decay only spotted by them doing an x-ray. I'm sure this must be common!

@denimflowers it sounds like your dentist is just fire fighting at present. Keep trying. Keep
Asking for cancellations. I know your are restricted with your job as to when you can attend, but we have a daily cancellation list, and call folk at the last minute to come in.

In saying that, we do a monthly audit, and last month we had 67 appointments that patients simply didn't turn up for, no telephone calls to cancel. This was the equivalent of 27 hours....

Yeah I’ve heard it’s a 7 year wait too but I can’t even speak to anyone to add us to the waiting list as the phone goes unanswered and when I finally accept the leave your number and we’ll call you back option I still don’t get a call back.
my dentist has offered a £70 per month plan for our family where you get 2 dentist appts a year and 10% off any work done but it’s just more than we can afford at the moment

Thank you, I certainly will keep trying. They've fitted me in with all my extraction disasters and treated me really kindly. It's just sad I'm creating them so much reactive work which maybe could be prevented.

That is a SHOCKING statistic for DNAs....we're they private or NHS? Can you bill for the time at the very least? (Obviously DNAs just keep the backlogs going)

@FutureDays yes, I I can see the private charge list on my dentist website and i added up the cost of the things I think I need doing - even with 10% off, I just don't have the money to pay for it. I'm stressing about having this done on the NHS but if I was private....I guess I wouldn't have it done at all and go in to some sort of sepsis or have endocarditis when I'm ravaged with abscesses. Doesn't bare thinking about.

When I went to the dentist after they came out of mandatory lockdown in June 2020, the dentist said that their normal procedures were good enough for Covid.

They were forced to use additional PPE for aerosol generating procedures, which limited how long each appointment could be. The actual cleaning down of surfaces didn't need to change.

Even if patients cancel because they have Covid/symptoms, there are usually plenty of other patients that can be seen.

My husband has been a victim of stealth pruning. He didn't go during covid - thought he was doing the right thing. He got told he should have phoned in to keep in contact even if he didn't want treatment! But then he developed an infection from a crack in a tooth and they wouldn't see him unless he signed on as a private patient.

MrsLargeEmbodied

this has actually happened to me.
i went feb 2020 and tried for a appointment last month and because i haven't gone for so long they said over 2 years, doesn't matter they were closed for the whole lockdowns here as when they started back open the policy was children or emergencies so they have taken me off the books and i cant get in anywhere around here.
so im with out a dentist at all as i cant afford private

i actually quite angry about it

I decided to go private during covid not because of delays but because of really severe dental anxiety and they can offer treatments for anxiety alongside dental treatments that just aren't available on the NHS in my area anymore.

If you're struggling to even get x-rays and a treatment plan done would it be possible to get an appointment privately (about £50 for check up, x-rays and treatment plan in North East) so you know what you're dealing with and have a potential treatment plan so you can go into an appointment with more knowledge. I don't know if hybrid treatment where some is NHS some private is possible or if the NHS would remove you from their lists if you got any treatment privately. I also know my dentist offer payment plans that a very reasonable and no interest so it could be worth approaching one anyway.

It's so hard to get on and NHS dentists list at the moment so I completely understand you not want to jeopardise that.

i dont blame you @TAKESNOSHITSHIRLEY

It's shocking. My dp doesn't have a dentist and we can't afford private. Couple of weeks ago do had an accident and has smashed all his front teeth out. Took a week of calling every day before he got an emergency one miles away from home who just told him to find a dentist and come back if he gets an infection! I have called over 100 dentists on Merseyside and no one accepts new NHS.

I live in the Midlands and its impossible to get an appointment on the NHS with a dentist here.

My children were given one appointment each before our NHS dentist became private. I took it but it meant my son missed one hour of school (he has a good attendance) and the school weren't happy he was missing school for a routine appointment but it was that or paying out a large amount of money so I risked annoying the school.

He has a heart condition so teeth care is highly important for him.

Same problem here....no routine apps available. When I did phone for an emergency app I got told I was deregistered as I hadn't attended in 2 years - no because you wouldn't give me an appointment!!!
I formally complainted and was reinstated on the NHS list, BUT still have not been seen!!!! Will remember to phone again this week to request a routine appointment. No doubt they'll say try next month.
What a nightmare it's been for NHS dentistry. My children haven't been registered with a dentist since well before covid either... nowhere here can take them on. Sad times 😕