For those of you gripping about nhs dentists....

[chicagomum]

Just to give you an example of why so many dentists are turning private.

Under the new scheme for NHS dentistry that comes into effect on the 1st of April, The amount dentists will be paid is calculated (certainly by our primary care trust) is based on data collected between October 2004 and september 2005. Our practice has grown considerably since then so the offer we have been given means that we will have to accept a reduction in pay by 20%.

If you have kids, a morgage to pay etc would you consider going private too?

People seem to forget at the end of the day we aren't robots who provide a service and then go into a cupboard at night @til the next morning, but (for the most part) caring proffessionals trying to balance providing a service and earning an income to keep our families housed,clothed, fed etc just like all of you.

Gripe over.

it always comes down to government, dosen't it?

Where is David now?

i read about the report too CM

Fair enough that dentists have to pay bills too, have nothing against that. they are ppl too, my gievance is that i have no dentist that will take on myself, DP and our 2 LO's (youngest hasn't even got a full tooth yet!)

Nearest one is miles away.

Not having a go, just grrring

shame theres loads of kids out there with parents who are on benefits and cant get a dentist and their kids teeth are rotting

AND for all of you seeing an nhs dentist, as of the first of april you get banded into 3 possible brackets of payment -

These brackets cover a various number of treatments so some of you will get value for money, others will now pay £15.50 for a straight forward exam, and nothing else (currently charged in the £5 area).

what happens to those people with exemption certificates they are worhtless aren't they?

The basics are -
3 standard charges

£15.50 This charge will include examination,diagnosis and preventative care. If necessary will include x-rays, scale and polish and planning for further treatment.

(interpretation - for your usual check up and nothing else you will be paying £10 more but for xrays and cleaning you will get a good deal - however it is the dentist who says what you need you can't demand a cleaning and x-rays simply because you feel you have paid for them)

Not sure that's the case for all of the UK - although correct me if I'm wrong.

Actually rather than type it all out I will find a link for you all to read, then will answer any of your questions.

Can't find a link to do as it's all involved with copyright etc (so I guess really I shouldn't type it out here either). But pop into an nhs dentist, and ask for the leaflet titled "What you need to know about changes to nhs dentistry in england."

so like zippy asked, is an exemption certificate worthless?

Ah - England. Not Wales, Scotland or N. Ireland then. So can you explain why all the dentists up here are going private, because I'm seeing a lot of big salaries and nice lifestyles for the dentists (and working in the NHS, I know what they are on), coupled with some of the worst rates of tooth decay and poor levels of oral health in Europe among children and adults in deprived areas. They are the ones I feel who are stuggling to keep their families clothed, housed and fed.

Free dental treatment is still available for those of you who hold exemption certificates.

thankyou chicagomum.

Personally I feel that the new contracts leave it widely open for patients to feel that they are paying over the odds for what they are getting or potentially getting treatment witheld by dentists who may be less than "honest".

\link{http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/84/04/04128404.pdf\Is this the leaflet?}

Could be suew but when I go to that link I get a blank screen.

It's a pdf so maybe having probs with adobe?

Downloadable from the link at bottom of \link{http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4128402&chk=UXFO00\this page}

Being from the US, I've always had to pay cash for dental treatment. Even if you had good dental insurance, you still ponied up a fair amount.

The leaflet reads great and on paper sounds great. But the real problem is people, especially round my way \link{http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=139760&command=displayContent&sourceNode=139586&contentPK=14089530&folderPk=80785\This, was in tonights local paper} can't register with an NHS dentist and worse still they can't register children with an NHS dentist.

Note the last paragraph - Less than 40 per cent of people in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury are registered with an NHS dentist. - How many I wonder by choice? umm I wonder!

OK I'm fortunate enough to have an NHS place but for how long?

I'm not blaiming the dentists by the way. Just the way things have got with the whole thing.

But not free treatment in a recently converted practice chicagomum?
My dentist has just gone private and i'm pregnant. So i still have to pay right?

THat is the leaflet SueW, but I (as a dentist) feel it is misleading to the public

in particular it refers to the fact that the maximum charge has been reduced from £384 to £189. However when it states that most courses of treatment will cost £15.50 to £42.40 it fails to mention that a standard check up which currently costs a patient just over £5.00 will be costing them the full £15.50.