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

Nothing wrong with highlighting this

In Scotland, we pay higher taxes to fund eg dental care, university tuition etc

Most people i know are fine with that

No. Important to go. Ive a NHS on at the moment

I have found that about 7/8 months ago, more dentists in our area started taking on new NHS patients, prior to this it took me 2 years to find one. have you looked on the NHS website for dentists in your area?

I’ve never needed any work done (except cosmetic, still saving up for that!) and go every 6 months to a private dentist, £90 a visit. The kids see the same one at the same time but as NHS patients so we don’t pay for them.

I have an NHS dentist and consider it essential. One of my work colleagues hasn't been to dentist for years. He reckons all his disposable income goes to his ex wife and children, and since his dentist has gone private it's unaffordable.

I've been twice in the last 15 years, and will no doubt go twice in the next 15 years! I've got good teeth thankfully, and only 1 filling in my early 40s.

Yes, our whole family is with local nhs dentist. Check ups every 9 months.

AM: Water floss, then brush (electric, pressure sensitive toothbrush).

PM: brush as above, floss.

sometimes I also use mouthwash/floss after lunch.

It’s not too much, but I am consistent about it.

Also: not too many crisps (get stuck in teeth) or sweet things. (But I do definitely eat some).

If people put the effort in to look after their teeth, the majority of people wouldn’t need to see a dentist any more often than once a year. (This is on average. Some will need twice a year. Some every couple of years).

The fact is, a large percentage of the population just do not look after their teeth that well. Some people just will not do what is advised. They refuse to floss or use interdental brushes. Will only brush once a day. Often just with a manual brush. Some people lie about what they do. “Yes I use my interdental brushes daily” as you look in their mouth to see a solid wall of tartar that has covered all the gaps totally. So how are you getting it in between when the gaps are 100% clogged up? Some people just really struggle with the dexterity needed to look after teeth well. This is definitely the case in young children and some older/elderly adults or those with some health conditions.

Diet plays a big part. Frequency of snacks/sugar etc rather than how much. Obviously drinking a litre of coke a day is not good for you. But it’s much better (for your teeth not your health) to drink that much with say dinner only then put it away. It’s actually worse to have a can of coke on your desk and sip it constantly throughout the day. So it’s better to let children have a treat once a day then give them a bag of sweets and ration them over the day. Giving them one sweet every hour is much worse than just eating the bag after dinner.

Luck and genetics definitely play a part. You can absolutely have someone who spent a large part of their life smoking and eating crap and only brushing once a day with no interdental cleaning etc up until 40+ and have no fillings or gum disease (looking at my husband….). And some people will be much more prone to issues despite looking after their teeth.

Gum disease especially is one of the worst things and the most common things. It can be totally painless. And especially if you smoke can have little bleeding. The first you might notice is your teeth getting loose. This is much worse than dental decay in the long run. With decay you have options. Fillings, crowns, bridges, implants. With generalised gum disease if you lose all your bone, the teeth WILL fall out. It’s incredibly hard to stabilise and there is no cure. No easy fix like fillings.

So I highly advise everyone gets into a routine of bruising twice a day, ideally with an electric brush (although this is not essential if you do do a good job with a manual). Clean in between your teeth once a day at least. (FYI- no one’s teeth are all too tight for any kind of interdental cleaning). Ideally ask a dentist or hygienist what would be best for your teeth. They can also show you the right technique. Stop smoking or vaping. Reduce the frequency of sugar. Those are the basics at least to help.

I go every 6 months for a check up. I have a dental plan that costs about £20 per month and I get 2 checkups, a yearly X-ray and 2 hygienist appointments per year plus a percentage off any fillings etc. I’d much rather problems get picked up while they’re small than not go and then have a huge bill and massive amounts of work because a problem has escalated without me knowing!!

I still have six monthly check ups with a NHS dentist. The last time I went I had a treatment plan for two fillings, a normal check up, mini clean that he does with the check up plus two x-rays. The cost was around £70 for all that over two appointments.

A check up with the mini clean is usually £28.

This.

We moved house 3 years ago but I kept my NHS dentist even though she's 80 miles away as I was assured there was no possibility of an NHS dentist where we live

My check up reminder came through the other day and I decided to ring round dentists where we live now to see if any of them were taking NHS or what their private rates are. I started with the dentist a 5 minute walk from me. Yes, they are taking on NHS patients and I have an appointment for early May.

I do wonder if a lot of people are, like me, just assuming they can't get an NHS dentist without checking.

I go every six months to an NHS dentist. Any less than that and we'd risk getting kicked off the list, and no way am I letting that happen. We know how lucky we are to get NHS treatment still.

My dentist runs his own plan, I pay about £15.00 per month. He always fits me in within a day or two if I get a toothache or I brake my retainers. Worth shopping around.

I go every 6 months and always have, I'm lucky to have an excellent NHS dentist.

Not been for 6 years, can’t afford it. Not planning on going again til I have to.

Yes. I’ve not been for 2yrs because of the cost. I’m thinking I’ll book a clean soon if I can with the hygienist. But my private dentist only spends about 30 secs having a look and telling me everything fine and the hygienist will clean them and then bills me extortionately for the privilege, so I’m going to keep skipping him unless I think I have an issue.

There's lots of people with bad teeth now. Some towns where it's a regular sight for people in their 30s to have multiple missing teeth.

It's appalling really. The NHS dentistry system basically has closed down. Luckily two of my family do have one so I kind of try and use that to justify me paying so much for the private one. I do go every four months for a check up. Last time I had an extraction and I'm still getting used to the gap! That's my only missing tooth though.

I go privately and have hygienist every 6 months and an annual check. Interesting that NHS seems to be a check every 6 months, seems too frequent if you are looking after your teeth? Perhaps it would be a good idea to change it to annual and get more people looked at!

The dentist is a non negotiable. I do have an nhs dentist though.

I am now that I've been able to find a local NHS dentist for the first time in a few years! (My previous one moved out of the area).

I think the local NHS trust must have thrown some money at dentistry as all of a sudden 3 of the 5 local dentists are taking on NHS patients for the first time in years.

We need to stop blaming the state for bad health and poor teeth. Mostly it’s up to the individual, what they eat and mouth hygiene. For children, it’s the parents responsibility. Toothpaste is cheap, a roll of floss is cheap. If people don’t know how to clean teeth I’m sure there’s a YouTube video on it.

Yes NHS dentistry is practically non existent however this is not the only cause, and I would argue main cause, for children’s terrible teeth and therefore health.

It should be tailored to the individual. NHS practices should already be judging how often the recall should be. Neither NHS or private should be only recalling patients at a standard time for everyone. 3-4/12 for very high risk up to every two years for very low risk and anything in the middle.

@gremlinI appreciate that however imo it would better to give more people an opportunity to see a dentist and get guidance on managing their oral hygiene than seeing people more regularly because perhaps they don’t. I appreciate that thus may mean some people may have to have additional treatments however we cannot continue with this individual approach as it’s not working in any area. Well it’s working for those that get it I suppose!

I have rubbish teeth and have gone regularly to the dentist all my life. I’m always amazed by people who complain about the cost of, say, a private check-up at a dentist, but will happily pay for meals out or luxury clothes or pets, to say nothing of the amount people pay for their cars - oh, they say, but I need my car. Well, you need your teeth, too, so look after them.