Is everyone struggling to find an NHS dentist for their children?

[IyaSol]

I'm looking to get my DS registered at a dentist, and I've just gotten word back from one that doesn't accept NHS patients basically saying I wont find any dentist accepting NHS patients. I know its not easy to come by, but I wanna know if the dentist is attempting to get me to just book with them or if there really has been a change to the rules meaning dental care is no longer offered on the NHS

any info helps thanks

Where we are you just have to get really lucky and stumble on a space. My DDs (and DH and I) have an NHS dentist, but lots of other people don't. DH's NHS dentist is the one he has had since he was a child as we live in his home town.

There definitely hasn't been a change to the rules, but they are hard to find.

Cuts in funding over decades means less dentists can afford to do NHS dentistry. Research indicates less than 10% of practices are taking on new patients https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/virtually-dentists-refusing-take-new-34176969

I haven’t found anywhere in my city taking children on the NHS. DH and I both pay privately and our dentists still won’t take DD. There is one dentist I found who has agreed to check DDs teeth but he gets no funding from the NHS for it. I don’t know what would happen if she needed actual treatment rather than a quick check.

We had to start with a private dentist and moved to an NHS one when we found a place. Both were in a different town as our town didn't even have spaces in the private dentist!
I had her on my plan at work but this only covered the equivalent of 1 check up a year and she has to have fluoride treatments every 3 months so we still had to pay out of pocket for most of it. I think it was it 6 months to find an NHS dentist

I believe if you register them before they turn 6 months old then they can’t turn them away. That’s what happened with mine. So, maybe not helpful to you but maybe for anyone reading.

Sorry but unless you are in Scotland or Northern Ireland there is no registration, even for children.
The only time someone is entitled to see a NHS dentist in England and Wales is in the middle of a course of treatment.

I've lived in my village for 6 years and the dental practice here wasn't taking on NHS patients when we first moved here so I registered my children and I in a nearby village NHS dental practice. They are now operating a waiting list for NHS patients. The village practice here recently put out a notice to say they were taking on a limited number of children so I registered my children with that one then. They aren't taking on adults at present so I've remained with my other practice.

I've seen on social media that some dental practices are taking on NHS patients but only for 48 hours.

So the option does still exist in SOME areas and if you are lucky enough to be able to strike when the iron's hot.

No need to apologise 🤷‍♀️ just sharing my experience.