Are you still having regular dental check ups

[Pippalongstocking70]

Has anyone else given up on going to the dentist in this col crisis? Seems like visits to the dentist are a luxury for most people these days.
Private dentists are expensive & getting an nhs dentist is like trying to get blood out of a stone. Even if you do find one you still have to pay something.
I can imagine lots of people with bad teeth in the future

My NHS dentist left the practice and I’ve been unable to find one since. DH added private dental to his work health insurance and we’ve joined a new place as private patients. £90 for my first appointment. So no free check ups for me, despite being in Scotland.

My dentist is amazing- NHS and I can always get an emergency appointment in a day or two when I have a problem as well.

No NHS available where I am.

Have paid for private care for my children as needed, but it's not regular.

I have ongoing issues that i can't afford to treat privately. So it's painkillers as needed and fight to get antibiotics when the abscesses form and blow my face up like a balloon (usually takes 48hrs via 111)

What else can I do?

I go every 18 months which is what the guidelines say if no obvious problems. I think it's now £27 for a checkup (NHS).

Yes, something similar here.

Yes - every six months with my NHS dentist and I see a private hygienist at the same practice every three months at £95 a session. I’m on a low budget but would go private for the check ups if necessary. Friends in my city tell me there’s no NHS provision these days (I’ve been with mine for nine years).

Same situation for me I have never needed any dental treatment so I do not go that frequently and regardless of the duration between visits the message is always the same - my oral hygiene and teeth are great, no issues.
Because I have no fillings or crowns and have never had a brace there's nothing ever needs checking/redoing etc and I am meticulous about teeth cleaning. I don't see any point going more frequently, I probably go once every couple of years.

That can be quite dangerous. Tooth infections can quickly lead to life threatening conditions such as sepsis or Ludwigs angina where the fatality rate is 8-10% even with antibiotics.

We’re fortunate enough to have an NHS dentist and see him twice a year. I’m currently having periodontal treatment privately though which is expensive (only two appointments left)!!

Do private health cover cleans? That is fairly normal in Australia. We get six monthly check up and clean for no fee as part of our private heath insurance. Public health dentists are few and far between. You get taxed more in Australia if you earn over a certain amount and don’t have private health. We mainly use ours for teeth and eyes.

Private dentist. I go every 6 months. I have very even, attractive teeth ( several crowns now I'm 60 and braces aged 11). I want to keep them nice for as long as possible. I'd give up a lot of other things before I gave up beautiful teeth

it is important to get it checked to prevent major expensive works further down the line. If you have teeth extracted, it will cause more wear on the rest of your teeth. Being able to eat and chew properly contributes to your quality of life.

Yes, we all go every 6 months, fortunately we have a good nhs dentist, so it's only £27 a time, or about 4 costa coffees! Much more expensive to not go and need work.

Absolutely yes but lucky to have an nhs dentist!

A few years ago i got in to an NHS dentist. Worse thing I have ever done. They are truly shocking. Say I didnt realise until it was too late and now have 2 gaps (at the back thankfully) and toothache as we speak. They seem very keen to get ypu out of the door with minimum basic treatment , which results in further deterioration. Ive had a filling fall out 3 times in 6 months, takes weeks to get back in. This is the tooth that i am currently suffering with.

I will be going back to a private dentist , and will no doubt need some very costly treatment.

I have private dental through work and it’s a benefit I’ll never willingly give up. So important to look after your teeth. My mum was a dental nurse and it’s been drummed into my from an early age exactly how important it is.

My dentist has just gone private , but as someone who has struggled with a dental phobia for most of my life, I now have a good relationship with him and trust him, so I suck it up and keep going every six months

On a dental plan, pay monthly, get two check ups /scale and polish a year and 30% off any needed treatment, so far its not cost me extra

It is quite a bit of my income to find each month ( NMW , 20 hrs a week ) but still cheaper than my glasses . However you cant skimp on health, I just have to find it

How does seeing the dentist actually prevent these things?

Yeah, taking good care of your teeth at home is what prevents all of those things. A dentist just spots problems (if you have them).

We managed to get an NHS dentist so go every 6 months for check up. I need to go to the hygienist but I believe that is about £100!

Yes I'm paying a dental plan so see dentist and hygienist every 6 months.i am old enough to remember when I first started nursing we always had patients with cardiac issues due to poor dental care,practices .I suspect due to lack of provision this will increase again .Not to mention the oral cancers that dentist pick up .
Really sad state of affairs that we are going backwards in dental care in this day and age .

Been private for years since the Blair government when our NHS dentist went private along with many others I’m on a £30 month plan and DH a £20 a month plan as his needs less visits because of better gum health

I see the dentist and the hygienist once every 6 months. I pay £22 a month for a plan, which also gives me 10% off any treatments.

However, I know several people who no longer visit the dentist at all, in some cases entirely or partly as they don't prioritize it and in some cases entirely or partly because of the cost. Some of them have quite poor teeth as a result, and I'd imagine if they did go now they'd have the expense of solving several major issues.

Same here in the SE. NHS dentist removed us from books during covid. Can not find another dentist.

Me and DH are lucky enough to have an NHS dentist and we go every 6 months for check ups. I go to the hygienist at the private dentist in our village every 6 months - the price is comparable to the one at our dentist and it means I haven't got to drive 20 mins, pay for parking etc.