No NHS dentist for children

[Movetozero]

Received a msg from our dental practice saying the children's check up appts had been cancelled. Tried to rebook and was told that due to lack of government funding the practice could no longer see NHS patients. This includes children. So they're effectively being discharged unless they re-register as private patients. Apparently all dental practices in the surrounding area are making similar decisions.

So I've had to book my 3 children in privately at a cost of £27 each for their check up.

What about the people who can't afford this. What happens to those children?

I feel so disappointed in this country.

Its terrible I've heard it's happening everywhere, we still have one NHS one round here but that could change at any time

We had exactly the same situation OP - message from our dentist that they were no longer taking NHS patients, including children.

I found a dentist over 30 miles away who will take children as NHS but not adults. If you can't afford dental care i dont know what you're meant to do.

There are no nhs dentists taking on that don’t have waiting lists of over 1,000 within around a 50m radius. Thankfully my children are still registered at one but my teeth are fucked or will be.

Write to your MP - the government are doing this.

We just had the same happen. I managed to ge another NHS dentist for the kids in the next town over, but I'm not holding out hope that they will stay NHS as it's a new practice and I suspect this is just a way to fill their books.

I went for a dental check up today, NHS patient been with the practice a few years but no checkup since just before Covid due to availability as my last appt was cancelled by the practice. AFTER I had the check up I was informed I had been de-registered as an NHS patient and made to pay a private “new patient” fee of £51. This was despite the fact that I checked when I called up and booked, and was informed that myself and my children were still registered as NHS patients. I also need to rebook for cleaning and a small filling and will now have to fork out £300 for this treatment as they also won’t accept my pregnancy exemption either. NHS dentistry is dead. I’m just grateful my children can still receive NHS dental (currently).

Same here, it's shocking.

It’s appalling. We’ve still got an NHS dentist, I’m having a check up next week and DD3 was seen recently. DH was also able to register as an NHS patient with them a few weeks back. I know how lucky we are. It’s unimaginable what the consequences will be of this all over the country.

I was aware of the crisis with NHS dentistry but naively it just hadn't occurred to me before today that children would also be affected by this. Thats the part that just makes me want to cry. With the shit show that's going on in government right now and all the struggles that people are facing this is another ticking time bomb. I don't even want to think about the implications of this.

Dentists have bills, mortgage, food to pay for as well. They've trained for a number of years, I don't think £27 is that expensive for the work.

@Bonheurdupasse I agree. But that's not the issue. The issue is that those who need NHS treatment and can't afford private care should have access to a dentist. I don't blame the dentists I blame the government.

It’s a nightmare. A lot of places also just won’t have children as private patients so even if you are willing to pay you can’t find anywhere. It took me six months to find a private practice who would have my toddler.

omg this is worrying I hope this doesn't happen to my dc as the practice they are at is predominantly private but with a few NHS patients including my dc. they have got checkups coming up next month eldest dc is on waiting list for much needed braces which we won't be able to afford if private. I currently am not registered with a dentist myself as cannot afford the private fees. I need a rotten back tooth removing luckily I'm not currently in pain with it. I would have thought the NHS had a duty of care towards children especially this is awful.

It is a terrible situation right now and it is the goverments fault, write to your local MP and complain to NHS England. A dental branch called mydentist are doing free examinations for under 3 years old and £12 for over 3. Any emergencies or trauma etc you can call 111 for a one off appointment, they will only treat the one problem at these appointments, they won't do examinations.

Same here op. I've been offered denplan which will come to an extra £79 a month plus cost of treatments. It's so worrying

I emailed nhs England and basically got a fob off story. Dh friend has been quoted £700 for a root canal the dentist isn’t actually sure he can remove so might end up paying then an nhs referral anyway.

This happened to us except there was no option of a private appointment. It was move onto a children's Denplan at £20 a month or leave. DS was in the middle of treatment at the time and both me and DH were private patients at the practice. I was absolutely fuming. DH had just been made redundant, my business was on its arse and finding £20 a month was impossible.
I did manage to find DS an NHS dentist but I had to make a lot of calls and it isn't local. The practice were only taking on children.

It's disgraceful and sickening, and very upsetting. I feel blessed and so grateful to be registered with an NHS dentist, and PRAY that they don't go private! It can happen to any of them without any notice or warning.

There was a documentary on last night about how 25% of NHS dentists have now gone private - 1 in 4!!! A young mum with (I think) 3 kids could not get her son's teeth dealt with, after he had a fall and broke his 2 front teeth. She has had to go private and put the £800 bill on a credit card. Also, people were having to glue crowns back on and implants back in that had fallen out, and one lass was having suicidal thoughts because of the pain from the nerve in one of her teeth. It makes my soul weep.

There are 1000s and 1000s more cases like this. It's getting like America. People having to fix their own teeth, or suffer in silence and develop depression from the pain and misery caused, or get four figures into debt to go private.

DH just got a huge root canal done that took 3 visits. Would have cost him £750 privately! Cost just under £70 with our NHS dentist!

There needs to be some kind of an intervention.

I was de-registered by our dentist as I had not been for a check up for a while. They were happy to re-register me as private. I can't really afford it but have no option as there are no dentists who will take NHS patients in the area. If I need major work doing I won't be able to pay for it. I was told by the receptionist that after I had attended a few appointments they could probably re-register me as an NHS patient. DD is still registered as an NHS patient.

I mentioned this to the dentist who was seeing DD at the hospital and she was rather surprised by this. She very diplomatically made no further comment but the expression on her face said it all.

We luckily have a nhs dentist for our children at the moment, I’m terrified of them ringing me and saying they have to remove us, my son will need braces but they won’t do it until all his teeth are through, if they ever ask us to go private I don’t know what I’ll do!

I work in an NHS dentist practise. We have no plans to change things at the moment but our dentists will not work for the low wage they're expected to do with NHS check ups all day. Some months I am earning more than them and that's quite unfair.

There hasn't been "registration" with NHS dentists since 2005, and I don't believe you that your hospital dentist was surprised.

Just awful for dentists and patients

There is an intervention : stop voting Tory. They have decimated public services. This is what happens after 12 years Tory rule.

Same here. my kids have been de-registered as they didn't have a check up during covid and I now can't find a nhs dentist anywhere remotely nearby.