I’m an NHS dentist…

[Booyahh]

First time posting… AIBU to think that NHS dentistry is absolutely on its arse? I’ve been in the industry since 2011 and it’s getting so much worse. I’m constantly hearing bad things about dentists or the ability to see a dentist, which makes me so sad. (I’ve started this thread on the back of another post recently just to hear some views)
I’d love to hear people feedback. Also, happy to answer any questions anyone may have

Haha I have said this once or twice to long standing patients too(who would get my joke) ! I did have a lady once who was very very rude to me. I’m generally not rude back but she told me multiple times how much she hated dentists and how we were all ‘money grabbers’
I asked her what she did the a living and she told me she was a lawyer.
I responded with ‘I hate lawyers, they’re all
money grabbers’

luckily for me, she belly laughed!

edited to say people who would understand the joke!!

Can a person live happily / healthily for say 20-30 years without going to the dentist. Asking for a friend 👀

I volunteer on a helpline for dentists .

The suicide and burnout rate is very high .

You are more likely to be sued in the U.K. than anywhere else in the world , the regulator the GDC is far harder on dentists than other professional regulators and dentists are terrified of the GDC.

UK dentistry is the most highly regulated in the world . A practice can be inspected by over 50 bodies.

You are doing microsurgery, on a conscious patient , whilst running a team of people and a business. You are contorting your body into difficult positions to do the job .

Anxious , nervous patients have a physical effect on dentists blood pressure and heart rate.

Most dentists cite pressure to run on time one of most stressful parts of job. You spend hours in a small room with no breaks . Particularly in NHS work the time pressure is intense and you see many patients in a day .

The financial pressures are immense , young graduates graduate with over £80,000 debt , then pay indemnity ,registration, CPD etc and particularly on the NHS will often struggle to make ends meet with student loans etc taking over half their pay.

The general public and media have a pathological hatred of dentists , there are very few good stories about the profession.

Many want to leave the profession or the country as dentistry in the U.K. is a particularly toxic place to be at the moment.

How painful is root canal? I’m due to get it done in December. I had a tiny bit of filling on a tooth right to the root but it’s now cause me to get pulsing gum. X-rays showed something on the root and says I need root canal. This was the earliest appointment I could get but I’m not bothered. I’m not scared of the dentist in the slightest however I hear so many horror stories about root canal 😂

Yes, I know so many people who can't get an NHS dentist.
If anyone knows any links to help, please tell me.
It just seems wrong they're told they need to pay tax to provide services, but can't get help themselves.
Even worse, people with bad dental pain who need surgery can't always get it-and no one helps.

My dentist & hygienist is private sadly. But I love them! They are brilliant. I’m a complete wuss with these things but I trust them totally.
I’d say to anyone avoiding the dentist, because you are scared, to find a good one and go more often - they will prevent you from having to have worse things done in the long run!

I can't even get an NHS dentist . Have been on a list for at least seven years. In fact I don't even know if that is true as their communication is so bad.

Any reasonable dentist would t need an explanation. I understand that’s difficult as you don’t know who you’re up against. I understand fear and the longer you leave things, the harder it is to tackle. So I’d perhaps go with that? Just say, it started off being a short period and then got longer, the more you thought about it, the more you worried and the more you out is off. Any dentist worth his salt would be understand of that. Wishing you the best!

I’m so sorry to hear that. Check the nhs website regularly and see who’s taking on. Sometimes (even though it shouldn’t be) it can be pot luck. Whoever calls up at the right time.

Thank you. That’s very sad to read but very interesting. My daughter is considering dentistry, she’s still young at the minute but loves the idea of it, I worry about the mental toll it has on people, it can’t be easy to constantly be told how much people hate coming to see you and never getting much thanks.

Thank you. I was told I had to chose two local areas to be listed for even though I said that I would be happy to drive at least fifty miles for a dentist. Stupid system.

It’s very sad as I loved being a dentist and trained newly qualified dentists . However my number one advice to them was get out of the NHS as it will destroy you.

Interestingly surveys show around 80% of dentists in the U.K. would not advise their children to do it.

The number one quality after being a good communicator is how well do you handle stress. If you are not resilient it s not the job for you.

I’m sorry to hear you had this experience. Denplan can be good in some ways but in others, not so much. If you’ve only been paying labs fees, I presume youre on denplan care. Ensure you're up to date on x-rays and get a second opinion if youre not sure on anything

I agree, the UDA system needs an upheaval. It’s what is keeping people from
accessing dental care

Before the pandemic, when I visited the dentist for a check up, the appointment usually included a quick scale and polish. Great for me because although I brush well and floss, I’m prone to plaque buildup. Since they reopened, they no longer do this - I have to book in with the hygienist and it’s fairly expensive. Is this due to government cuts?

Sorry to hear this. Occasionally, a dentist will check things and not shout them out the their nurse, and just go off memory. So it’s perhaps that they have done it, they just haven’t announced it. However, if they haven’t done those things then it’s concerning and you should request to see another dentist. You could suggest seeing your records to see if those things had been recorded

It’s been a disaster but what has stopped people accessing care is that no new money has gone into dentistry for decades and even with the new proposals it’s a cash neutral budget ie no new money. They are just shifting deckchairs on the Titanic .

The NHS has said that routine scaling has no health benefits so should not be done . Only if you have gum disease should treatment be given . Otherwise scaling is purely cosmetic and therefore a private treatment.

Yes, very bad. I pulled a muscle in my back last week taking a tooth out. I have to see a physio, a chiropractor and I do Pilates twice a week to help with work related issues. All of which cost me in excess of £400 a month

Yeah denplan care
my dentist is great but he thought I needed sedation and that the tooth was too close to the nerve for his liking and also had curved roots
the nice woman I went to spent 20 mins numbing me and about 5 to whip it out!

I have to say we have had nothing but positive experiences with our NHS dentist. Including sneaking one of my kids onto the NHS list instead of private. The surgery seems really well run, never an issue to get an appointment, great service for all of us. That said we’ve all got healthy ish teeth so not had to navigate any serious issues.

I know it’s not an AMA but I have always been super curious as to why people would ever want to become dentists?!

I'm sorry to hear this. I know two other dentists and they also have terrible back issues. 😞

I’ve lost the count how many practises I rang, contacted via email or filled the questionnaire.

Not one got in touch.
Have been going private for 15 years now.
I told my son- bag of sweets from the shop-£1, small filling starts from £150. Choose wisely.

It’s a great career combining medicine,artistry, surgery and constant challenges and learning. It’s just not a great career in the U.K. at the moment .

Musculoskeletal and skin problems (from gloves and constant handwashing) are number one reason for dentists to retire early.