I am more scared of dentists than I am of dentistry

[UnePrune]

Come and give me a kick up the bum.

I think it's weird to want to work inside people's mouths.
I know next to nothing about dentistry and I feel really vulnerable, even when they're perfectly nice.
I don't understand the pricing system, how you can be an NHS patient but they can 'upsell' - it all feels faintly underhand to me.
It just all gives me the collywobbles.

It's weird to want to work up people's bums but I'm very glad some do want to. Teeth are quite interesting.

they can "upsell" because they have to follow NHS rules and the NHS only provides for basic dental treatment to make you dentally fit, it's a bit like it's hard to get cosmetic surgery on the NHS.

Well I know. Anything where you need to work 'in' or 'up' seems odd to me.

Your average rectal specialist doesn't tread the line between healthcare and cosmetic surgery though. (Anal bleaching notwithstanding.)

No. But they do tread the line between NHS work and private (some of them) if you're talking pricing.

Also in the past I've asked what the difference in price is, eg between a standard NHS filling and a white one - and they are vaguely surprised! Their surprise makes me uncomfortable.

well, the NHS doesn't pay enough for very good equipment AFAIK, the dentists I work for far prefer to do private root treatments as they have a higher success rate.

In my experience also , the kind of dentists who are in it just to make money don't tend to stay/work in NHS dentistry.

Ok that's what I don't understand. If I needed root canal treatment, on the NHS, would my dentist not just use the same equipment as she would for private work? SHe uses the same room for both afaik.

well, the equipment doesn't last forever and it is expensive to buy so the dentists I work for prefer to use it for private treatments.

It's a no win situation though, private patients get annoyed if they think they are paying more for the same treatment, and NHS patients get upset if they think private patients are getting better treatment, I am glad I am not a dentist.

So what happens to the people who can't afford private treatment?

(This was me for a few years: I had a private root canal treatment done because no NHS dentistry in my area, told the dentist I was taking in a lodger to pay for it (true) and in the next breath he asked me if I wanted my teeth bleaching - er NO I am SKINT!)

I mean, does the dentist just...not offer the root canal treatment to them? THat sounds dodgy.

no the NHS does provide basic root canal treatment.

Seriously though, the dentists I work for who offer NHS and private treatment genuinely do care about their patients' teeth, if that is reassuring, they are just constrained by what they are allowed to offer.

Well, I was in a similar situation a few years ago, I was an NHS patient, I needed root canal which I was told would be very tricky, need a specialist, cost about £600 etc. . The alternative was having the tooth out, which cost £11, -I had to take the cheaper option.

There are some odd incentives as a result of the NHS contract.

Reimbursement can be the same for a easy treatment done in a single session vs a complicated one needing several sessions.

Thus some tricky choices for everyone involved.

On a side note, could never be a dentist.
Worst head hole to work in IMO.