Where have all the good dentists gone?

[SpottydogDomino]

We are NHS and our old dentist retired. Now we have had a succession of stand-in temp dentists who quickly leave. Our appointments are cancelled until the surgery can recruit.

I have asked around friends and family but no one really has an outstanding dentist. All the websites sing the praises of the dental practices but how do I really know the dentists are any good? The rave reviews coud be false or for private work and not the NHS we can afford.

Has anyone any good yardsticks or tips?

I have an amazing NHS dentist, although my surgery is mainly private, so they are out there. If I had to find someone new I would ask for recommendations and go and visit different surgeries before signing up to one - but here there seem to be quite a few places locally advertising that they are taking on new patients. Maybe put a shout out on your local Facebook group if you have one? (I don’t actually have or use Facebook, so apologies if this is not a thing you can do.)

I am on Facebook and I think it may be worth putting out a shout to see if anyone has an outstanding NHS dentist. I am just not confident in the dentist (or series of unhappy temp NHS dentists) we have at our dental practice.

None of my close friends or family know of any that are anything other than ok.

Its the nhs and they are all leaving, it's really hard to find one, my last one was bloody horrible but I did find a better one. You can look on the c.q.c site or just Google dentists in your area and they should give a list with reviews and ratings.

But why do we not have an influx of dentists from other parts of Europe /Poland etc??

where I live nearly all the dentists are eastern european, but they are part time or locum so it's difficult to get an appointment, we have to book and pay one month in advance just to see the hygienist.

Looking on various dentist websites locally, and reading the reviews, it really is a mix of rave and really poor reviews. (I am guessing the rave ones are done by the actual dental staff!).

I wish our old dentist had not retired. Tbh we found her stand-in to be rude and did a temp filling for me without even asking if I needed an injection, or even really taking any notice of me at all. I was just attached to my tooth he was filling and was only interested in quotiing me for a crown to replace the temp filling.

Hence the search for a dentist who actually cares and is happy to give options rather than ultimatums. The search is harder than I thought it would be.

I had the same struggle. NHS dentists around here are super rare, and when space did come up, the two surgeries I tried, checkups were rushed, and treatments were painful and almost agressive. I think they must be under huge pressure.

I've given up and switched to private now. There wasn't as much cost difference as I expected. I can get appointments with a decent dentist, it's only a little more money, much "gentler" and worlds apart for service and painlessness.

I am going to look at the private route. I miss being actually spoken to by my dentist and given advice and options. I feel like just a mouth with teeth that he has seen a million of that week when I go to the replacement NHS dentist.

There seem to be too many stressed and aggressive NHS dentists that are like a production line and too many unhappy patients on the NHS.

Just a quick question to anyone who can help. Can you hop between private dentists and NHS dentist treatments at the same practice? If I have some private work done does that mean I am no longer on the NHS dentist list?

TIA

We have a wonderful NHS dentist, who also does some private. For example, my DD1 had a slight overlap in her front teeth and he fit her with an Inman Aligner for 6 weeks and then a semi-permanent retainer privately. But she is still her NHS dentist.

My dentist is great but doesn't take on NHS patients now. I have Denplan with him which makes it affordable (£13 a month or so) and covers my checkups and hygienist twice a year plus treatment

I absolutely love my NHS dentist, I'd be absolutely gutted if he left. The man brought me back from a ten year fear of dentists, he's fixed me both physically and mentally, he was recommended off our local town fb page for nervous patients. I love him, cant ya tell

He fixed the damage and I had to go private for an implant, total money money money, couldn't give a shiny shit if the work needed done or not, they would milk it. Do unnecessary work without consent etc. Rude money sucking leeches.

Id go nhs anytime a million times over.

Loads of NHS dentists here. Mine is Russian, (& lovely) there is also a Greek and an Indian dentist at the same practice. The receptionists are all polish. Never had any cause for complaints

My dentist flips between private and NHS.

I can pay private for a white filling but everything else is NHS

Lol the advert, that literally was my teeth 2 years ago

It is very difficult here to find an NHS dentist, and most are polish, i have been to a few for dentures and none of them have managed to make any that fit properly
They are not trained in the same way
I have now managed to get in with an English one,and satisfied
,

Just an update!

I went private with our dentist a few weeks ago and he has done an excellent job. He even worked on my "bite" to stop further damage. Apparently, he could do a lot more privately than he could offer NHS.

No regrets but lighter of pocket. I think on balace it was the right decision.