To think that adults are supposed to go to the dentist too?

[YourTealBalonz]

It feels like so many people act like the dentist is optional once you hit adulthood, only going when something hurts or skipping years altogether. But surely we’re supposed to still be going regularly?

Isn’t part of being a functioning adult keeping up with this stuff - like check-ups, cleaning, prevention, etc?

Or AIBU and it’s fine to just… not?

YANBU but not everyone can afford private dentists (or even the NHS fees), and some NHS dentists don’t accept adults anyway. So it’s understandable if people don’t go regularly.

Sorry,.pressed wrong button. YANBU, however in my area it's impossible to register with an NHS dentist and private dentists are very expensive and often people just can't afford regular check ups etc.

The problem is that many adults can't access NHS dentistry and can't afford to pay to go private. DH neglected his teeth for years because there were no NHS dentists nearby and he didn't earn enough to go private.

Now he earns better money, he can afford to get his teeth sorted.

I go every six months, dentist and hygienist. I'm on Denplan. I've had terrible trouble with my teeth so I suck it up.

Some people don't have access to an NHS dentist and either can't afford to or don't want to go private.

Not everyone can afford it. If a tooth needs taking out I can usually do it myself anyway.

You can't be serious @didntlikeanyofthesuggestions

I don't have NHS dentist with open books within a 100 mile radius. So yeah, "supposed to" is great in theory only.

In an ideal world -yes. Realistically, many can't afford to go. NHS services have been removed from most dental surgeries, every single one in my area now only offer private appointments. You'd have to travel 30 plus miles to even get the option, and then you'd be lucky to get anywhere near the wait list.
I'm lucky enough to be able to afford private heathcare and dental, but my friend who recently went for a check up was quoted over £800 for a few fillings and a clean on top of the £60 she had just paid for the appointment. My sister spent nearly £3000 on her recent appointment.

Same. After my NHS dentist went private, I carried out shelling out for annual check ups, but I then couldn’t afford to get the work done. So I see little point until I can TBH.

There are no NHS dentists in my area, not even for children. My child goes for check ups. I've bypassed the dentist recently, but I've still gone to the hygienist every 6 months. It was all the dentist ever told me to do anyway, so I thought I'd save £70 which I can't really afford.

Maybe just going when needed is fine.
I have wondered if eye tests and dental checkups are really required so frequently. It seems the only regular health checks we should be having just happen to be the ones that we have to pay for.
I do go for eye tests and dental check ups. Apparently I've needed a new optical prescription every time I've been tested but my eyes still haven't reached a level where I need to legally wear them to drive. I'm also still using the prescription from 2 tests ago with no problems.

I go for a check up every six months but am lucky that there are plenty of NHS dentists where I live.

Yes but you need to complain to the government about the underfunding of NHS dentistry. Many people can't get registered at one, and can't afford private. I'm very lucky with mine, she is passionate about the NHS and provides excellent care from a very small, not glam surgery over a burger shop!I don't know how she does it on the pittance they are paid. She does the full range of treatment too, including crowns and bridges, which a lot of NHS dentists won't do as the pay is so pitiful. I now travel 30 miles each way to stay registered with her.

We can’t get an NHS dentist what do you suggest we do?

Adults shouldn't be this dense either but here we are.

Of course it should be, but every time I go to the hygienist (£120 last time) I think it must just be out of the question for many many people.

The lack of NHS dentists is a real problem and I’m not blaming people who genuinely can’t access one. I was more reacting to the attitude I hear sometimes that dentistry just stops mattering in adulthood rather than the very real structural barriers that make access difficult. If you can’t get an NHS dentist, that’s a systems failure not a personal one.

I've never, ever heard anyone say "dentistry doesn't matter in adulthood".

Children and pregnant women are entitled to free dentistry but there are no NHS dentists where I live so they can't get it for free. I suspect that there are many children not attending regularly let alone the adults. It's simply too expensive for many people.

Bob Mortimer has joined the thread...

It’s bloody expensive, even with NHS prices!

I’ve never heard anyone say it’s not a thing for adults to go to the dentist. Just that they can’t, there is no nhs practice in my county taking on adult patients, there’s a private one, it’s is v v expensive

I disagree, i think six monthly check ups were only ever designed to make money, not because they are a necessity.

If our GPs started calling us in for chargeable appointments every six months just to check that everything was normal, we’d think they’d gone crazy

Well yeah I bet a lot of people regret not going and then being refused back onto the NHS as they went AWOL for six months plus. Back when the shortages weren't so dire.

I feel lucky two of my family have an NHS dentist. It kind of just about justified the fact I don't and have to go private.

They really need to incentivise dentists to do more NHS work. The current system they have to do a grand worth of work for £300. No wonder they don't want to do it.

My mum never took me as a kid so my teeth, although I brushed them well, have needed some work as an adult.
We all go as a family every 6 months, NHS dentist, have been going for the past 23 years and often need an inbetween trip for additional work doing. It mounts up even with NHS tiered pricing.
I can fully understand why people don’t go but yes I do think it’s important and therefore shit that people can’t afford basic dental checkups.