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Original poster

How many of us have NHS dentistry?

97 replies

pacinofan · 27/02/2006 15:35

After being without a dentist for 9 months, our family was hugely relieved when we managed to register with an NHS dentist approx. 9 miles away. We have only visited twice, and now the practice is to turn private. I resent the principle of having to go private, I think we pay enough through taxation to at least fund basic check-ups. So yet again, we are without dental care unless we are prepared to sign up to a Denplan scheme (we are not).

It got me wondering though, how many of us actually have an NHS dentist?

OP posts:

melissasmummy · 01/03/2006 18:01

Secondhandrose, I have worked with both NHS & Private dentists & to say that the private money doesn't go thru the books is absolute CRAP! You are accusing all private dentists of evasion of tax etc, but the ones I know wouldn't do that.

I was a receptionist in 2 of the practices & therefore responcible for taking money & banking it, NOT ONCE has it EVER gone into the back pockets!

Surfermum · 01/03/2006 18:14

We got a letter this morning from our dentist saying they were going private and if we wanted to stay with them we would have to sign up for Denplan. I got straight onto the nhs website and thankfully found another NHS dentist 3 miles away. I went down there and it's a spanking brand new surgery, with 6 dentists and loads of spaces for NHS patients much to my relief. They've also signed a contract to say they will remain NHS. I'm in Dorset.

chicagomum · 01/03/2006 18:18

I'm soory secondhandrose, but what you are saying is ludicrous (not to mention slanderous). There may be the odd one that does that with cash (the same in any walk of life) but to insinuate that all private dentists are on the take is highly offensive.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 01/03/2006 18:20

We (5 of us) have an excellent NHS dentist - but how long for ? Dh has no end of trouble with his teeth and I dread to think how much it would cost us privately.

chicagomum · 01/03/2006 18:21

I agree that in the private sector there is more money to be made than under the nhs, however the majority of dentists have turned private because of the way the nhs system has treated them and what the future holds. I am so tired of people making dentists out to be money grabbing selfish people with no regards for their patients.

Tinker · 01/03/2006 18:26

I do now. Had to queue up in the street for about an hour to sign up though.

SecondhandRose · 02/03/2006 10:08

Have any of you ever worked at a dentists? You don't know what goes on there is every fiddle going on under the sun. I have worked at a lot of surgeries. One of them even used to tell patients that fillings he did for them on their front teeth were not available on the NHS, he'd get them to pay privately and get them to sign and NHS form so he got paid twice, from the Govt as well as from the patient.

Over prescribing was rife, claim, claim, claim and so much the better if the patient was on income support.

No, I'm sorry patients come first - I've no idea what Blair is up to when Thatch was in power there was a decent dental service and that's saying something. Don't want to have a row about Thatch now BTW.

chicagomum · 02/03/2006 10:10

Secondhandrose I am a dentist (an nhs one at that) and whilst I know there are a few unscrupulous ones (like I said before as in any walk of life) I find your generalisation that we are all corruption and only out for ourselves and the most money we can extract (pardon the pun) from our patients extremely offensive.

chicagomum · 02/03/2006 10:17

Over the past 15-20 years an nhs dentist has had to increase his/her workload every year when they change the fees in order to maintain the same level of income (relative to the increase in general cost of living). MOst dentists are honest people who do care about their patiens. Why on earth do any of us want to stay in the nhs system when it is making it harder for us to earn our living and we get no support or gratitude from the patients who are intent on blaming us rather than those actually at fault.

OK my income may be higher than some peoples (but it is less than others) but I worked damn hard at school and university to get were I am so I don't see why I should apologise for it nor should I be expected to sit back quietly whilst they reduce it by a 5th.

NomDePlume · 02/03/2006 10:18

Chicagomum - are you maternity leave/sabbatical at the moment ?

chicagomum · 02/03/2006 10:19

Neither Nomdeplume.

NomDePlume · 02/03/2006 10:22

Do you post from work then ? Sorry, have just realised that sounds really nosey, I'm only asking because you seem to be around a lot in the day and my NHS dentist doesn't appear to have time to blow his nose during his working day! Not a criticsm, just genuinely curious

prettybird · 02/03/2006 10:26

Chicagomum - I do understand and sympathise about your situation.

Secondhandrose obvioulsy hasn't read the thread preoprly, toherwsie she would have realsied that there were peole on the thread who do work for/are dentists and who were defedning the genral honesty.

I have a friend who defected to Denplan reluctantly - but he felt it was the only way he could continue to give his patients a good service without compromising his income. (Unfortunately, his wife had to sell the practice a few years later when he had the equivalent of a major stroke and is unlikely ever to be able to work again)

It takes a lot of "dedication to principles" to accept a 20% pay cut, if those are the figures you see before you. And if you are already working flat out, then there is no way to make up that shortfall.

What is the Primary Care Trust's "defence" of this effective pay cut?

chicagomum · 02/03/2006 10:27

No chance of posting during the day at work, but I'm currently only working 1 day a week. Had baby dec'04 took 6 months maternity then had 6month sabbatical as dh posted to chicago for work (hence my name) my job was passed onto another dentist but I returned to the surgery in december of last year, could only do one day a week as that was all the surgery space they had. I will be looking for a new extended job at some point in the near future, but didn't want to do anything until I saw what the new nhs system was going to be like.

NomDePlume · 02/03/2006 10:28

Ah, sorry Chicagomum, thanks for that . FWIW, I think you've been exceptionally patient on this and similar threads !

chicagomum · 02/03/2006 10:31

Prettybird, they haven't given a defence. The way it works is each PCT is given a budget, this is used to pay all the nhs dentists under their jurastiction (sp?). We submitted evidence of our income over a period of time, and they return with an offer of a fixed annual income paid monthly. So it varies for each dentist but the offers to all those working in my practice has been between 20% and 25% less than we are currently earning. We have appealed against the offer and will see what happens.

MrsSpoon · 02/03/2006 10:34

I've got an NHS dentist, managed to get on his books by the skin of my teeth (if you pardon the pun ), a friend who was a dental nurse talked her boss into taking me on. DS1 is NHS, DH is private and I am unsure about DS2, I was told he would have to be private but have never been asked for any money for his check-ups so am starting to think that he might be NHS afterall.

longwaytogo · 02/03/2006 10:58

we have no dentist atm as they have gone private. DD has been ok to start orthodontist treatment at local hospital but needs a dentist to have teeth out ready for her brace so really need to find one.

Chicago mum can i ask you a question? Have had root canal done and a gold cap but it has given me nothing but pain since I had it done, it does get bearable then flares up again. It took months to put the cap on as couldn't get rid of the pain. In the end he capped it and said maybe it will settle down, but it hasn't this was about 12 months ago. So what are my options now? Not that I have a dentist atm but if I did. Ta

FeelingOld · 02/03/2006 11:06

Our dentist is still an NHS dentist but don't know for how much longer as our practice is the only one in town that hasn't gone private.

melissasmummy · 02/03/2006 13:44

Secondhandrose, YES, I have worked at many many dental surgeries. I have NEVER worked with the type of dentist you describe. Before the days of computer claiming, I used to fill i the claim forms, never was I asked to "defraud" by claiming for something done privately. Never did a dentist change the claim either.

FWIW, white fillings can be done (or could) be on the health service, but the amount they get paid & the type of material allowed is crap. The fillings discolour, fall out & just look unsighly. Therefore dentists will recommend a much nicer private one, hence the cost. (this was when dentists could claim for NHS & do private treatment on same patient)

As you obviously have such a lack of respect for dentists/dentistry, maybe you should find another career! Either that or shop the dentist you work for, if they are THAT bad!

Original poster

pacinofan · 03/03/2006 13:35

Just an update from the orginator of this thread - today, I have managed to register all of us with an nhs dentist, approx. 10 miles away. What I am so pleased about is that it's a brand, spanking new dental spa centre set in the heart of the 'stockbroker belt' in Cheshire that looks fantastic, at least on their website anyway. Hugely relieved, appointments are not until July but we are not desperate for check-ups so that's fine. Well chuffed!

OP posts:

chocolateshoes · 03/03/2006 19:32

Ok had an appointment for myself today (no fillings, yippee & thought I'd double check about registering DS who is 8mths - last time I went they said it would be automatic. The receptionist told me to ask the dentist, the dentist said register him NOW ie get receptionist to take his details etc because eevrything is changing re NHS dentists on 1st April & she couldn't promise what the situation would be. So, if you haven't registered you babe so it before 1st April!

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