Dentists / Hygienist

[Georgethecat1]

Apart from the dental NHS crisis why is seeing the hygienist a private treatment?

Our nhs dentist looks at our teeth but does no removal of plaque etc. If you want to prevent gum disease then seeing the hygienist is the way forward to properly clean your teeth even if it’s every 1-2 years surley?

Seems more expensive in the long run to wait for a problem on the nhs than provide preventative treatment? Just seems a bit crazy in my head.

Because it is how they can keep their businesses viable and still offer an NHS service.

i guess what I mean is why isn’t hygienist treatments available on the nhs when it would cost the government less in the long run to include it vs more expensive treatment when’s it’s gone wrong. Preventative treatment should cost less?

The hygienist at my dental practice is very good. Whether she’s £85 a time very good I’m not sure.

Mine charges 60 a pop, but she will only do 1/4 of your mouth at a time.... so you have to go 4 times.... now that's cheeky! But everyone has a 6 month wait list, so what can you do...?

Agreed, YANBU

For a very long time NHS treatment has been less about preventing and more about fire fighting. Even going back 13 years when I had severe joint issues and there simply wasn't the facility to find out what was wrong, just throw more painkillers at me while I got worse and worse. The whole system needs an overhaul and patients need to be taught how and encouraged to look after themselves for a lot of things. When something is free there isn't the incentive for people to do that. With private healthcare there is be ause if you don't, you okay even more. I don't know what the solution is but I don't think any government is brave enough to find it.

Just an example of what’s wrong with healthcare generally- not enough investment in preventative care means that we have to spend huge amounts treating things once it’s too late, but it’s hard to change without huge investment because switching funds from treatment to prevention would otherwise leave people without treatment. It’s a big mess.

I agree, the cleaning should be part of the check up. In reality there is not enough NHS dentists at all so we have the best use of the very limited resources. It’s not about what’s the best solution for patients it’s about the best solution in the circumstances.

As almost no one can get an NHS dentist in the first place and no party has any realistic plan to get back to NHS dental services (Labours plan is emergency treatment only, a pathetic waste of money as people will just keep returning for more "emergency treatment)

Then worrying about a Hygienist is bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

My dentist is one of the few NHS practices in the area. He openly admits that charging for hygienist treatment enables him to continue to be so.

Wow, mine in London (also very good) is £60, and I've been paying this price for the last few years now.

What? 🤯 that's obscene. Mine is recommended twice a year, just like checkups, but more if you've got an ongoing issue. But she cleans your whole mouth for it!

I think if you've an NHS dentist that in itself is such a rarity I wouldn't be complaining about the cost of hygeinist.
My private dentist does my hygiene treatments, they do have a hygienist as well but I'm confident with him so just don't question the cost. It is madness that the government thinks it's normal for people to walk about with no teeth in their head aged 30?!
I hope Labour focusses on bringing incentives into dentists to get them back doing NHS work, and hygiene work as well.

I've literally just come back from a free hygienist NHS appointment.
If you qualify for your NHS treatment for free, hygienist is too.

So do you end up paying £60/quarter mouth, total £240? I hope not. Or is it £60 in total when all 4 visits have been completed? Which is a reasonable cost. But to have to go back so many times, it sounds crazy.

Ours is now £90 and I go twice a year. I have a dental checkup every 6 months and I book both appointments on the same day well in advance. A check up is now £75.
Insane prices really but there doesn't seem to be much of a difference around here. Also there are no NHS dentists anymore either.
I agree dental health is incredibly important and prevention should be a top priority. I read somewhere once that children at preschools /infant schools in Finland (?) are given xilitol tablets after each meal to prevent tooth decay. It sounds simple enough and probably inexpensive. Measures like these would be a step in the right direction.

Xilitol is a sugar substitute, how would that reduce tooth decay as a supplement after a meal?

According to Google… Xylitol kills the bacteria responsible for dental decay by up to 90%. Not only does it neutralise the plaque acids, it actually prevents them from starting in the first place, making it hard for plaque to stick to your teeth in the future.

Years ago the dentist used to do the cleaning. Now I have to go to a private hygienist it costs me £103. every 3 months that includes an antibacterial wash too. It's better than having to go to a peridontist which is £300. a time which I have had to go to in the past. So I am happy going so I can keep my gums healthy.

My private dentist once told me even when hygiene treatments are offered by NHS dentists, they don't have the time to do a thorough job.

But I assume the quality is the same now that these treatments are offered by NHS dentists privately as standard.

A basic scale and polish used to be offered as part of a check up, but it's been a very long time since I had an NHS dentist so this might have changed.