Finding a dentist

[tribpot]

I'm sure this has been covered before but ...

dh and I have not seen a dentist in our entire adult lives. Dh has got some serious teeth damage (mine are fine, at least in my layman assessment). Dh is chronically ill (so teeth aren't our number 1 priority) but has now reached the point where something must be done. He can tolerise painkillers like a mad man, he cold turkeyed off both morphine and methadone in a manner that literally - and I do mean this - would have killed most people.

Consequently we need to find a dentist who will be sympathetic to his weird relationship with opiates. Obviously we're going to end up paying mega-bucks as a result, but such is dentistry in the modern world (apparently) - nowhere round here is accepting NHS patients. So be it. I don't like it, but there we are.

Any thoughts/advice on how we go about things? Some googling suggests Bupa only do dentistry in London and Nuffield seem a bit limited round these parts too. How do we find a reasonable private dentist? Should I ask our GP for a letter explaining dh's history with opiates? Or for a recommendation, if he knows any local dentists?

Bumpety bump.

have you tried the dental hospital? do you have one hear you? if you cant find an nhs dentist you go to the dental hospital

i would get a letter from GP, yes

where do you stay?

Hi np, we're in Leeds. I can't go to the dental hospital (although that's a good suggestion) as a former friend works there, would be very awkward. I think we just need to get registered, there is emergency provision in a PCT-run centre but I think they'll just say "go to a dentist".