Dentists at the moment?

[user85963842]

We've moved areas so I need to sign us up to a new dentist, I haven't heard from ours since our check ups were cancelled in the first lockdown. But is it even worth trying atm? Are dentists answering enquiries like that? I'm assuming NHS check ups aren't happening??

Hello. We moved house last Spring and could not sign up to a new dentist as no one was taking on new patients in the Pandemic. I tried again in July when restrictions were lifted and was told to try again at the end of the year, I tried in December and was told to try after Christmas. I eventually managed to register last week as a private patient. None of the Dental surgeries are taking on NHS patients at present, I was told this by all the surgeries I telephoned before I had a chance to say that I was happy to sign on as a private patient. Most surgeries have only just started taking on private patients. If you have a dental emergency I was advised to go back to my old surgery where I was still registered even if that was the other side of the country or call the NHS on 111 and they would give me the telephone number of a dental hospital or an Emergency dentist. Hope that you get registered soon.

We are having NHS dental check-ups next week.

We signed on with a new NHS dentist this time last year, so before the first lockdown. The DC were due to have a check-up in September, which was cancelled and we were told to phone every month to see if they were happening again.

The text reminders came through for me and DH, so we phoned to see if they really were happening and when they said yes we were able to add the DC into the same slot.

DD’s dental hospital made this time last year hasn’t gone anywhere yet. DS referred to the same hospital for the same thing about 2 years ago was seen within a couple of months and operated on shortly afterwards.

My dentist surgery rang last week and booked me in for a routine check up. I assumed they weren't doing them but apparently its business as usual though. I am on a private insurance plan with them though so don't know if that makes a difference?

We’ve got a routine dentist check next week, all 4 of us. Parents & kids. We had one 6 months ago as well 🤷🏼‍♀️ They are def still going ahead. Our dentist has a big banner on their website at the moment saying they have space for new NHS patients & to call to register..

*we are all NHS

Sorry to crash the thread but just wondering if NHS dentists have been vaccinated?

@KasparKat Yes, they will have been offered it. All the dentists I work with are vaccinated.

Business as usual in my dentist, apart from having to leave more room for emergencies / fallow time after aerosol appointments.

DC and I all went for a check up last week, for the first time in a year. We're all NHS patients. It felt like a day out, since we seldom leave the house for anything these days! All went smoothly. Saying that, I've been registered at the same surgery for 10+ years now.

I needed a filling last November (an ancient one pinged out, and after writing a review about hard lumps in Waitrose soup, realised it was my filling, not a pea that hadn't dehydrated).

My own Dentist said they were only doing private, not NHS, so I rung around other local surgeries - mostly a long wait list, but they were taking people on.
I ended up going to my regular dentist, but based on my experience I'd suggest it's worth calling around and asking individual surgeries. I spoke to about five surgeries, only one or two said they weren't registering new patients, which could easily have been that they were full, rather than covid related.

NHS dentists are now allowed to do check ups again, I took children a couple of weeks ago and I am booked for end of this month. I don't know about finding a new dentist if you aren't already registered as that was almost impossible been before the pandemic.

My kids haven't had a check up since Dec 2019. I paid for a private one with same dentist as had tooth issues and have had treatment done privately. I'm going tomorrow so going to ask about kids being seen.

Thanks all, we are only about 45 mins from our old practice so I will see if I can get closer but if not will call our current one to see if they will rebook us in. I'm getting some slight toothache, nothing bad or emergency but I'm terrified of dentists so really need to not put it off 🙈