To think that dental care is now only for the wealthy in the UK

[Tygertiger]

I would love to be considered U here and if I am, please explain it to me.

I have been in the privileged position until now of having an NHS dentist. Obviously I still pay a fee for every visit (not entitled to free healthcare) but it’s still cheaper than private dental fees. We’ve now been told that our practice is going private as of next year and will offer monthly payment plans, the cheapest of which is £19 a month. I’ve been on the NHS site and there are no other NHS dentists in the local area, at all.

So how do poor people afford to go to the dentist? If they can’t afford a monthly insurance plan?

This happened to me very recently. And when I read the details of the plan that was replacing my NHS treatment, it turned out to cover very little. Two check ups a year, basically and 20% off the cost of private work!

My teeth are good, so I am just going to pay for a check up once a year, and "self insure" ie put some money aside if I can afford it for potential future work.

Oh, I agree that std of living in the UK is on the decline for the average person. It is still higher than a lot of places, but of course taking your money to a poorer country means you can live better as you are relatively rich compared to the locals.

I had hoped you had found a place where everyone was better off - rather than the easy "move to a poor country" option.

I could leave based on the work I do, but you can't beat the British countryside and hills. I live in it and I'd miss it. Plus many other things. I might do annual health and dental checkups overseas as part of a week in the sun. Because if I did get something like cancer, I'd be terminal before I'd ever get the NHS to run some tests, let alone do anything about it.

@Sazzling I think within 2 years Lithuania will have a higher standard of living than the UK and Poland a few years after so there's 2 options.

I'd much rather spend my money in a poor country where it will help the local people than in the UK where the simple basics are extortionate.

I've just fallen out of love with the UK if that makes sense. Like a relationship that's over and it's because we have a population willing to vote for the Tories and brexit. I just don't belong here.

I pay £16 per month for 6-monthly check ups and 3-monthly hygienist. It includes annual x-rays as well.
DH pays less (I think around £12 pcm) but only sees hygienist once or twice a year. DC are both free, either they are NHS or included in our fees, not sure which.
I think it is a good service actually.

In theory. In practice there isn't any NHS dentists in a lot of areas. So there's no dental care available unless you can pay.

That is good, until you need some serious treatment.
I need to see a periodontist, pretty desperately. Treatment will run into the £thousands.

We can't get an NHS dentist so have been paying private. I now need fillings replaced at £500 and a root canal fix which has been quoted at £1,800 with a 60 % success rate. If it fails it would be an implant at £2,200. This one tooth could cost me £4,000 but I just can't afford it.

Btw - I admire that you're relocating. What winds me up is people on Mumsnet who bang on about how much better it is in country X, but who don't go there. Instead, they stay in the UK running it down.

Exactly!
There are no NHS dentists where I live right now. When a list opens, the wait is still years in the future.
When I was under an NHS dentist, being on benefits meant I had the absolute minimum of treatment...

I’ve just paid £350 for a private perio (East Mids) and was quoted £6000. And I’ll need extractions and braces after (neglected as a child) or it’ll keep happening due to how overcrowded/wonky my teeth are.

Zero chance of affording it that, it took me 5 months to save up just for the initial consultation.

God knows I’m on a 3,000 person waiting list. I pay for private prescriptions toothpaste and a host of other gels and potions to keep my teeth as well as I can. My plan basically is wait till they are all so fucked I pay on credit to remove and replace the lot. Cheaper overall all that fixing one by one.

No nhs dentists here either. My private one doesn’t require a monthly fee or insurance. If I decide to go, I pay for that specific appointment.

I think the dental hospital type places have to help you if you have an emergency and no dentist.

Not even my 16 year old at college gets free dental care. Our dentist went private and I can't find another even accepting children.

YANBU. I'm not well off. Thankfully I have strong teeth, but it still costs me £300 a year in check ups and hygienist appointments.

Then there's the cost of opticians and glasses.

And GPs in my area won't refer to audiology until you've paid a small fortune for private microsuctioning now.

Good dental, audiology and optical care makes a huge difference to health and well-being and this is being denied to so many people.

Bloody hell! I have an NHS dentist but paid private prices to get a white filling and it cost me £120. I’m very lucky that I’m in Glasgow and there are still plenty of NHS dentist here. Plus, both my kids have left school but are still covered until they’re 26. Although, I’ve have just coughed up thousands for a brace for one of them. Orthodontists are ridiculously expensive and are impossibly unaffordable for many.

YANBU. Horrific. Worrying for the future of the country

In surprised about waiting lists to get on an NHS dentist books. When I was ringing round I was told it's just a case of ringing at the right time and first come first served. So If you happen to ring on the right random Thursday that their books are open they'll accept you. I didn't realise this wasn't the case UK wide

There are many areas in England (not sure about rest of the U.K.) with absolutely no NHS dentists, stories online of people travelling a hundred miles for a dental appointment. The government seem to be doing absolutely nothing about it, profits over people yet again

Not true. If you are on UC and earn above a certain amount it isn't free.

I've been trying to sign up to an NHS dentist for years. There are no spaces near me. I can't afford private prices!

OH has an NHS dentist but was referred to a private clinic for some treatment- something the NHS don't do- so he had to put in on a credit card, almost 1k!

I feel lucky for the free hearing aids I get here .

Got a letter this morning saying my dentist was going private and when their junior dentist had time to see NHS patients we’d be seen. Would have to pay £18 a month to see her twice and a hygienist twice a year.

And yet many of you would still vote for Brexit 2 or the Tories again if given half the chance. Zero time for people who complain after getting what they voted for.

This is EXACTLY how I feel. I’ve lost respect for the UK population as a whole. I don’t belong. Our values are too different.

No NHS dentists around here in Wales, i've paid privately on Denplan for my DCs for well over 20 years, however my teeth were in such a poor state i couldnt afford to get them sorted to the point of being accepted on Denplan..
6 years ago used to travel on a 2 hour round trip to see an NHS dentist, but then they closed, so that was that.
I'm in serious dental trouble but what can i do? Even if i could afford it my local dentist isnt even accepting new private patients!