Dentist and needing lots of work done

[Ragdollmother]

Hello, a bit of a long winded one sorry! I do have a dental phobia to start off with.
Went to the dentist in June last year, private practice local to me, been with them a few years but often see a different dentist each time.
In June young dentist said all looks ok but one filling might be needed in a lower wisdom tooth in 6 months time.
Went back at Christmas expecting him to say let’s fill that tooth, but he told me I now needed 5 fillings and 2 fissure sealants, costing just shy of £1400. He took an X-ray after telling me this , and said the X-ray ‘didn’t look too bad’ but still gave me the form to say i needed the work doing.
I went away pretty shocked and upset.
As I left I was fairly coerced into making my first treatment appointment by the receptionist. I ended up going back a couple of weeks later and asked if I could just have the most urgent filling done, expecting it to be the one mentioned in June last year.
At the appointment the dentist said all the teeth needing work were pretty much at the same stage, so he filled a different tooth on the list needing work instead.
I had awful problems with this filling for a few weeks afterwards and have not been back for any further work since. I just feel upset and unsure if I can trust them.
I know I need a second opinion, it’s now been 5 months since that Christmas appointment so time is ticking if all these teeth really do need work.
I just wanted to ask if anyone has experienced similar , and what I should be looking for in a new dentist ? I just want an honest opinion, I’m less bothered about perfect teeth, In a way I’d like an ‘NHS style’ exam if that’s possible ?

How can people push for something that doesn’t exsist!? The nearest NHS dentist to me is 160 miles away. You’re very lucky that you managed to find one within walking distance, but just because you did doesn’t mean that is the case everywhere

Referring you for a 10yr follow up is ridiculous, But an OPG (the big xray) is good at looking at the jaw, and looking at wisdom teeth, and giving a general idea but it's not diagnostic for decay, and you would still need bitwings or a PA xray to look properly at the teeth. Doing an OPG to assess the plates is reasonable

You can switch NHS dentists, if you are registered with one practice you can move elsewhere. I don't believe there were no appointments for 10 years and you didn't once look to change practice.

There are no appointments in my large-ish city. I could probably get one 200+ miles away. There are no waiting lists. Practices simply don't accept NHS patients. They don't put you on a waiting list whether it is for a year or 10 years. Waiting lists simply don't exist no matter how hard you push it. At best, you are offered "affordable private treatment" which isn't really affordable if you need anything more than a simple filling or extraction.

Scotland funds NHS differently.

You cannot push for treatment that isn't there.

In Cornwall & Devon, there are no NHS dentists taking on new patients.

My last conversation with a NHS dental practice went something like this:

"We haven't taken on new patients for about 5 years, no, the new dental plan announced by the Govt wont make any difference, i suggest you ring back in 3 or 4 years time and see if the situation has changed?"

My MP doesn't respond with anything more than "we will provide 700k extra emergency appointments"

so fucking what? emergency dentists down here will deal with only one issue and only use temporary fillings & then suggest you get a dentist.....

Its not the dentists fault, a single filling, examination and x ray could take 30 to 60mins, the practice will get £26.

Oh yes and I’ll also saddle up the unicorn in my back garden and fly there on it 😂😂

First emergency dental appointment in my city going private for severe pain and not being able to eat since Friday is not till late tomorrow afternoon.

The appointment is £100 in advance, the treatment (which is extra) probably twice as much. For one sodding 'drill & fill'.

I went to my dentist in November, was told everything was fine and come back in 6 months for usual check up, come December I decided to join a dentist closer to me (old dentist in London, I now live in Surrey 40 min+drive each way) new dentist did x-ray and said I needed 2 fillings, I get free NHS care, who was right 🤷🏻‍♀️but I ended up getting 2 fillings