NHS scale & polish

[iwantitthatwaaay]

Hello,

Hope I'm posting in the right place...

Just went to a new dentist today as my old one still isn't doing appointments. I was told I just need to go to the hygienist, I have plaque and tartar which I knew as my teeth haven't been cleaned for ages
My old dentist 18 months ago said I needed a scale & polish & a filling, he did the filling but wouldn't do a scale and polish and told me to go to the hygienist (I didn't)
Is this normal now that dentists won't do scale & polish, even if the last time it would have been covered under Band 2 (filling etc)
At that time and this time I had/have maternity exemption, which obviously shouldn't make any difference, but it's not 'free' dental care if I have to pay £50 for the hygienist to do a scale & polish?
I mentioned this at the reception today on the way out, she said she would need to ask the dentist if she would do the scale & polish under the nhs?

Oh I’ve realised they don’t do this anymore either! I’m having to pay the hygienist to do it when I remember the dentist used to give my teeth a good scale and polish

@GoneCrazy

Oh I’ve realised they don’t do this anymore either! I’m having to pay the hygienist to do it when I remember the dentist used to give my teeth a good scale and polish

Yes, I find this very strange why has this changed?!

Yep. This had changed even in the private dentist I went to years ago. The dentist said she just didn’t have time.

An nhs scale and polish tends to be a quickie.

A £50 private one is a half an hour appointment usually and very thorough.

NHS clean and polish is on clinical grounds only.

I see, I didn't realise :(
Even if the dentist says you have a lot of plaque, that still means you have to go to the hygienist and the dentist won't clean it themselves?
I do recall it being very quick to have a scale & polish in the past

I don’t think many dentists do a scale and polish these days, most have a hygienist (private) and prefer you to use them. I’ve had to see a hygienist for at least 30 years in the several dentists I’ve seen.

I haven’t seen a dentist for a couple of years now. I concentrate on regular hygienist appointments and instead see a dentist every two years for x rays.