To think Dentists are greedy and disgrace

[Thisismynamenow]

I have a hole in my tooth (thanks pregnancy for the poor teeth!)

My nhs dentist has apparentpy cancelled their nhs contract to go private (without telling patients) and not a single dentist within 20 miles is willing to take on nhs, but everyone can offer same day private appointments.

I know the nhs is underfunded but it's disgusting dentists are allowed to be only private, they should be made to be half nhs!

My tooth is killing me, I can't afford the £400 I've been quoted for the filling (it's a tiny hole, literally a pin hole!) And the hopsitall will only pull it which I don't want. Its annoying me more as i currently have a maternity exemption which I can't use.

Aibu to think dentists are greedy, and that it shouldn't be allowed?

Many do, they offer NHS emergency care, a one off appointment.

They also, for free, go into Dental schools that also provide free treatment and over see work done on the general public.

I was going to mention vets.

Good to know, though I am not sure we have anything like that here. I think if someone is in excruciating pain and distress, it is wicked to refuse to treat them when you have the skills. I do not expect dentists to have the morals of hedge fund traders. If all dentists had to take on a very small number of NHS patients I am sure it would help, and they could still get rich from private clients.

Even if they did take a few each, it wouldn't really make much overall difference.

Too many, poor mouth hygiene and nothing like the number of Dentists we need.

The British Dental Association have said that Brexit has led to 1000s of EU Dentists leaving the UK, something to do with recognition of qualifications following BJ's deal that he got "done"

bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/Pages/Government-dragging-heels-as-1000s-of-overseas-dentists-left-unable-to-practise-during-access-crisis.aspx

I've had to go onto MyOptions as I was an NHS patient at MyDentist. I'm paying around £130 for each filling , £125 to recement a fallen out crown and £85 for a clean. I'm lucky I have savings - it will end up being around £1000 for everything, but it's cheaper than fully private and it needs to be done.
It's awful that so many people have lost their cheap dentistry

@Alexandra2001 Thanks Brexit, another marvellous benefit. We should remove tuition fees and train more here, perhaps, though I don't see our current government doing that.

@gnilliwdog Unless there is wholesale reform of dentistry, training more wont help and where would these highly educated students come from? its not like those with a string of top grade A levels are two a penny.

You'd also need to build more Dental schools, equip them and ensure students had the right mentoring with experienced dentists, whilst practising on us lot!

Sorry but i think dentistry will not improve for many years, if at all, the Brexit thing is purely self inflicted, we got what we wanted.

@gnilliwdog because they are not allowed to by the nhs contract.

You can’t pick and choose contracts. My practice asked for children only or emergency only contract and were refused.

my children are now seen privately.

It is a shame but I can’t blame the practice they really tried and I am dreading when the children need braces as the only nhs orthodontist within miles and miles had his contract taken back from him.

I have written to my MP but to no avail. Nhs is totally doomed and it is very sad

gnilliwdog

your ideas are ridiculous. No one works for free. You spouting about moral duty will get no one anywhere. If the government want a functioning dental service for the people of the country, they can choose to pay appropriately. But they don’t.

it’s like saying doctors should work for free as people are sick and need help. Or teachers should tutor kids for free as the kids need help.

what planet are you on?

I don't remember there being a shortage of NHS dentists growing up in the 80s. Obviously Brexit has been disastrous, but it was difficult to find a NHS dentist before that even, so there were problems before Brexit. It may be difficult to fix, but I do think mandating dentists to accept a few NHS patients would help a little. NHS treatment could be prioritised for under 18s, which would reduce the numbers. I feel that is reasonable, as children can not get loans or jobs to pay for treatment, and it is not their fault if their parents are in poverty, It would also set them up to take better care of teeth throughout life.

It's the kids that will suffer. I work with very poor families and loyal of them wont be able to afford to get their children's dental check ups and treatment.

@Lapland123 How callous. I don't recognise this country anymore. We used to try to care for our citizens, now everyone shrugs their shoulders.

Who is callous?
the government, for not ensuring these public services are funded?

are you really foolish enough to blame to individuals for not working for free?

ridiculous

The banded fees have been in for a while but the fees haven't risen in line with dental costs, so more and more dentists leave and go private.

Children are already supposed to get free NHS treatment, your ideas would just make sure that dentists leave the UK in even greater numbers, along with so many other medical professionals.

Funny how £100bn plus can be found to make sure energy companies keep making billions but nothing for dental care.

Nope, the only people shrugging their shoulders is the Govt, the one that keeps getting voted in.

People really do vote against their own best interests, based a Sun or Mail headline.

Hospitals will not extract a tooth with a 'pinhole' cavity. A pinhole cavity wouldn't likely cause you think much pain you profess to be having. Pregnancy does not make your teeth shit it's circumstance such as lack of brushing due to nausea etc that causes it not actively pregnancy.

Think you should look more into the facts on nhs dentistry before you chastise them all.

Why isn’t gnilliwdog telling us that the energy companies should be providing heating and warmth for free/ at a loss to themselves, as it’s cruel not to and what is this country coming to blah blah blah

why this ridiculous idea that because someone has trained in healthcare they should want to work for free/ at a loss

Dentist will just vote with their feet anyway but it’s the height to stupidity to say it’s ‘wicked’ not to treat someone for free/ at a loss.

its wicked also then to not be given free heating, food etc.

nonsense

@Lapland123 I really hope you are not a dentist, you sound as if you have no empathy whatsoever. I am not interested in engaging with someone who sounds utterly unconcerned about children.
@Alexandra2001 Children are entitled to NHS treatment, but dentists refuse to take them on. If you are right, and they will all leave the country if they are required to treat a few children, I have nothing else to say, They sound as if they have no business working with people who are in pain and vulnerable.

Vets are not greedy. There is not an NHS for pets, so you have to pay what things actually cost.

No I am not a dentist. But you still cannot connect the dots that the government are choosing not to find this service for the children ( as well as all members of the public)

im not interested in engaging with someone who is blaming the HCP rather then the source of the problem- your government

Just get a normal filling. It'll be cheaper and you won't be in pain while the hole gets bigger and end up wanting to saw your head off.

They talked about this on radio 4 a while back. Its not to do with greed. Its to do with inadequate contracts that they have for NHS work. The contracts dont cover the work that needs doing and they arent given enough money to take on new patients. They cant see you for free. My FIL is a dentist. The overheads are huge, he has to pay for assistants, receptionists, rent, bills. If the government cant pay them enough to do tje NHS work then they dont have a choice.

Who is quoting the £400? Is it bupa or a local dentist who can’t take anymore NHS.

my dentist is a mixture of NHS and private. You can register with them as private and it’s approx £250 for a large white filling

i was referred for gum problems to bupa and they told me they’d never heard anything like what the top guy at Manchester dental hospital had said about another condition and he was wrong

he then spent 10 mins of my appointment telling me about his views and treatment for my controlled diabetes

I’d never go near Bupa again

Do you even know what the NHS is? You seem to somehow be equating vet prices with a government service that is free at the point of use. Even our prescriptions are subsidised hugely. Do you really have no idea what people in non subsidised countries pay for their medications? Now why do you think you would get vet bills that are in any way reflective of the NHS. Vets charge way less than private healthcare yet are mute on par when it comes to costs. The average vet earns something like £35k. This is after 3-5 years in practice and 5 + years of study and having to have had top grades to get into vet school. They are professionals yet earn way less than lawyers or accountants or even doctors.

I agree with the OP to an extent. Dentist degrees are heavily subsidized, much like doctor's degrees, by the government, ie, taxpayer money. They should have to continue to offer NHS care for a long period of time in return.