What if you can't afford private dental care?

[OneHornedFlyingPurplePeopleEater]

I finally managed to find a local NHS dentist earlier this year for myself and my family. We'd lived here 3 years and had been calling around the local dentists every few months but none were taking NHS patients.

We've had the initial appointment a few months ago, but now they have told us there is no NHS dentist anymore.

I have what feels like an infection but can't afford private. What am I supposed to do??

Mumsnet may tell me that everyone earns £100k+ and just pay. But what if you can't?

If they are saying no NHS dentist anymore then you don't have a registered dentist surely? Ring the emergency dentist line 111 you can normally get seen same or next day

We’re in the same situation. No NHS dentists for miles, I’ve tried. Mine was the last one standing and has now gone private. I’ve accepted I’ll have to pay £15 a month to sign the kids up to their monthly club, but for DH and me it would be £38 a month. Can’t afford that, so have opted for the pay as you go option which will be £80 for an annual check up (no scale and polish, it’ll be £120 if I want that). Resigned to the fact that it’ll be on a credit card and I’ll have to pay it off that way. The situation with dental care in the UK is appalling. There basically is no NHS preventative care at all.

Awful isn't it. The last emergency dentist I saw advised :

• keep ringing around until you get on a waiting list
• use the emergency dentist when you need it (as PP said, call 111 - in my area they then give you another number to call that opens at 9am)

Be warned this is what they want for all health service not just dentists and mental health support

At what point do we all demand a reduction in NI because we simply cannot access the "NHS" care we all pay for?

I pay for denplan which is £18pm for me
It's not a perfect situation and I understand not affordable for everyone but it was the best option for me
I have the max plan with them which covers 2 check ups, 2 hygienist appointments and most other stuff except lab fees. If I need seeing then I don't get charged for additional appointments, I've also had cosmetic bonding on a tooth with it and a filling

I am 44 and it's been progressively harder to get an NHS dentist for the past 30 to 40 years. I remember my family dentist going private when I was a young child.

Dentistry is just something we have to pay for. You pay for it like other household emergency expenses. I'm sorry to sound unsympathetic but it's not just for people who earn big money. I don't think it should come as a surprise.

What is sad is the rest of the NHS is going the same way. Children's mental health is pretty much a pay for service.

It's shit. Equally Dentistry is expensive. Needs trained professionals and expensive equipment.

My grandchild has not seen a dentist and is 4 in December! Impossible to find NHS dentist. My children saw a dentist from the age of 2 . I am now going to take Grandchild to my private dentist next week and I appreciate that many people do not have that option. It’s absolutely disgraceful and y there will be a generation of children with decaying teeth.

We were in the same boat OP and just paid to go private as we had no choice and felt lucky to get the actual private dentist we did, as that’s hard enough. I pay £8 per month per child and £15 per adult. So nearly £50 a month for my family. (Then we pay on top for actual treatments) Luckily we can afford it, just, but so many can’t, and I guess to answer your question they just don’t see a dentist and end up in pain or with escalating problems that could’ve been prevented earlier.

Dentistry is just something we have to pay for.

Why on earth should it be? It's part of our overall health care, so it should be as free as all our other medical treatments. TBH I've never understood why we have to pay the smaller, NHS fee for treatment either.

This kind of thinking is a direct result of Tory policies over the years. They would love to see the NHS dismantled and for it to become a money-making system.

Access to information on the prevention of decay (effective in 99.9% of people) is widely and freely available, even if there are no NHS dentists. Diet is the number one factor in causing decay, a check up every six months doesn’t change that.

Stealth privatisation of healthcare is very worrying for patients and HCPs alike.

There is emergency dentist cover on the NHS.

Facts are though that you pretty much have to pay for dentistry privately now and this is a real change of mindset. It's far from great but people need to adapt to the changes and not pretend it's still a free service.

I am fed up with various friends saying they cannot afford private dental care yet they have no problem paying thousands every year for foreign holidays!

Then you wait.

Welcome to socialism.

If too many people want something for nothing, then some people get nothing for something.

Most private dentists offer access to a Finance Group so you can spread the cost of treatment interest free.

DH is starting extensive treatment today that will cost £300pm for 10 months, interest free for that period. Interest would be charged if a longer period is needed.

Phone 111 they will do an assessment and give you the number for your local emergency dental service who will get you an appointment . When you get an appointment it will cost about £25.

Welcome to socialism @Reality25 ?! Do you genuinely believe that the last 13 years have seen Britain become a socialist country?!

Do you even know what it means?

Are you near a dental hospital? You can get free/ cheap NHS emergency care if you are happy to let (supervised) students work on you. I know Birmingham and Cardiff offer this.

This is only for emergency treatment though. It's also the most basic treatment. An infection they might just pull the tooth and give antibiotics.
It's really rubbish.

How do you see this as socialism?

We’ve not got one since moving house. My last check up was 4+ years ago. I am embarrassed! It should not be this hard to find one, literally nobody’s taking on in our area. It’s pay private or don’t go at all pretty much

I had an infection in my gum and did not want to pay to see a private dentist because of the cost. I got Oraldene on Amazon and it worked amazingly to clear up the infection in my gum. I really recommend it.

We use a payment plan to cover costs, it’s £10 a month and covers check up and hygiene appt. It helps as we are no where close to another dentist.

My children have an NHS dentist but im
always incredibly grateful with every visit as I know they will disappear in the end. My plan is to then either pay for 12 monthly check ups or go into a plan with them.

i still clean both their teeth at 11 and 8 and have no plans to stop until the older one can be mature enough to understand he isn’t a crocodile and there are no more coming through after the adult ones.

I don’t think you understand what socialism means 😂

Nobody is entitled to free healthcare, it‘s an immense privilege. The UK is basically the only country in the world that tries to offer all areas of healthcare for free. Dental is not working out so I agree it‘s just something you need to budget for.

The vast majority of dental bills can simply be avoided if people brush and floss properly and don‘t ignore a small cavity until it turns into an abscess.