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Original poster

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

91 replies

chicagomum · 27/02/2006 20:04

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.

OP posts:
jamiesam · 27/02/2006 22:33

phew, have just spotted thread about 'what do you do about posters you don't like' or somesuch and thought you'd decamped....

Can confirm that all (profession that I belong to) are ba*tards, just like the press tell it!

zippitippitoes · 27/02/2006 22:35

the trouble is that dentists won't accept exemption

presumably that is a result of the systme

I went to the same dentist for 20 years and only in the last two have I had an exemption cetificate but it coincided with no longer taking nhs patients and I haven't been since

I am such a coward I am scared of a diferent dentsit

another issue I know

Original poster
chicagomum · 27/02/2006 22:42

"the trouble is dentists won't accept exemption"

NOT TRUE. If a patient is genuinely exempt (or claims to be) due to income support, disability allowance, pregnancy having a child under 12 months, is under 16 (or 18 in full tin=me education) etc etc there are exempt. A dentist mearly needs to fill in the form for the patinet who then ticks the relevant box for the reason for the exemption and the dentist sends it off (stating wether they have seen proof of exemption or not) and gets paid by the dental board. IE The dentist doesn't actually care if you are exempt or not because they get paid anyway, the dental board may the chase the patient if they believe they are claiming fraudulently and then it is the patient who is in trouble.

OP posts:
Original poster
chicagomum · 27/02/2006 22:43

Apologise for my poor typing but my fingers are running away as my fustration takes hold.

OP posts:
zippitippitoes · 27/02/2006 22:45

but only if they continue to accept nhs patients?

Original poster
chicagomum · 27/02/2006 22:49

Pricisely. A dentist that doesn't treat nhs patients is private. Exempt patients under the nhs have their treatment paid for by the nhs. If a dentist is private and see's patients who are exempt (and therefore don't pay him/her no-one else does so effectively it means the dentist is paying for the exempt patients to be treated).

Put it this way,

If you can't afford the bill in sainsburys/asda etc would you expect them the pay for you weekly grocery shop for you?

OP posts:
waterfalls · 27/02/2006 22:57

I understand that private Dentists have to earn a living, but the costs are so high (for me anyway) I developed gum disease while pregnant with dts due to a huge hormonol imbalance, I can not get into an NHS dentist, for a while I visited my dentist for treatment, but have not been for almost a year now, because I simply cant afford to, but I really need to, as I dont want to loose my teeth (I am only 29)I do have an excemtion cretificate, but that is obviously useless. And because I have gum disease I cant get dental insurance, so unless I wun the lottery, I am doomed.

Original poster
chicagomum · 27/02/2006 23:05

SO what do you suggest dentists do waterfalls (and all of you who are moaning about the prices etc)? Sacrifice their lives, family welfare etc to ensure they provide for the public?

OP posts:
waterfalls · 27/02/2006 23:13

chicagomum
Easy................I was just pointing out my situation, I understand the private fees they charge dont go straight into their pockets, they have their assistants to pay, taxes, rent for the dentist room (if it is not their own practice) etc etc. I am just dissopointed that I have looked after my teeth all my life, and within a space of nine months, I have these problems that I cant afford to get the best care and treatment for.

zippitippitoes · 27/02/2006 23:16

I think it's hard for both dentists and patients to have the system change in such a way that neither side is happy..presumably dentist's were happy at some point before the rules changed??

Original poster
chicagomum · 27/02/2006 23:21

NO zippitoes we haven't been happy for a long time. Hence the reason more and more dentists have been going private. But we have been hoping this new contract will rectify that, (but have been proved very disappointed).

OP posts:
jco · 27/02/2006 23:22

i think that we should look more towards blaming the government. They should make it easier for dentists to treat nhs patients and still earn a deceant salary. We can't expect dentists to just treat people on the nhs if it means they can't earn a living

zippitippitoes · 27/02/2006 23:22

I meant happy say 5 or 10 years ago?

Mog · 28/02/2006 09:10

Haven't read all this thread but why couldn't the NHS set up centres where they employ dentists on a salary? Then I feel there would be much more emphasis on holistic and preventitave care. Everyone could get a dentist and proper hygienist care and therefore the knock on might be lower costs to the nhs because there would be less treatment needed. IYSWIM

jco · 28/02/2006 11:05

totally agree with you mog, you should be prime-minister! Grin

Enid · 28/02/2006 11:08

what is most crap is that when I went privately to my dentist about 2 years ago he couldnt have been more charming.

When we all went in as nhs patients a cuople of weeks ago he hardly spoke a word to any of us. No stickers for the kids, nothing. miserable sod.

NomDePlume · 28/02/2006 11:09

That would make sense Mog.

NomDePlume · 28/02/2006 11:10

Trouble is, where does the funding for this affordable community dentistry programme come from ? The NHS is massively stretched/mismanaged as it is

Mog · 28/02/2006 11:53

But doesn't the nhs already fund the current system? If dentists had their own salary and didn't have the stress and time consuming business of overseeing the running of their own practice, wouldn't a lot of them be happier?
To be honest, sympathy is short for dentists because they train at the tax payers expense for a 'caring' profession like being a doctor or nurse, and then if they go private they don't put anything back. If you have an essential skill for people's health and then people can't access that because it is too expensive - something fundamentally wrong here I feel.

Mog · 28/02/2006 11:53

But doesn't the nhs already fund the current system? If dentists had their own salary and didn't have the stress and time consuming business of overseeing the running of their own practice, wouldn't a lot of them be happier?
To be honest, sympathy is short for dentists because they train at the tax payers expense for a 'caring' profession like being a doctor or nurse, and then if they go private they don't put anything back. If you have an essential skill for people's health and then people can't access that because it is too expensive - something fundamentally wrong here I feel.

Mog · 28/02/2006 11:54

But doesn't the nhs already fund the current system? If dentists had their own salary and didn't have the stress and time consuming business of overseeing the running of their own practice, wouldn't a lot of them be happier?
To be honest, sympathy is short for dentists because they train at the tax payers expense for a 'caring' profession like being a doctor or nurse, and then if they go private they don't put anything back. If you have an essential skill for people's health and then people can't access that because it is too expensive - something fundamentally wrong here I feel.

Mog · 28/02/2006 11:56

Sorry about that - don't know why that happened!

compo · 28/02/2006 12:02

I'm surprised that people say private dentists don't accept exemption. I see a private dentist and as i'm pregnant i haven't had a problem claiming my free dental care

zippitippitoes · 28/02/2006 12:04

how does that work then compo if he isn't nhs then how does he claim?

compo · 28/02/2006 12:06

I've no idea. I just filled out a form and got a maternity exemption card through. What she does at her end is a mystery to me? Unless of course she's half and half but I'm definitely a private patient