Refused NHS scale & polish, need to pay for hygienist?

[cantthinkofaname2021]

Has anyone else had this?
I'm 24 weeks, had my check up on Monday, changed dentist as my old practice is still not taking appointments since before covid
She said I have tartar & plaque which I knew and said I need to go to the hygienist, I asked at the reception can I have that as a scale & polish by the dentist & she said no, you need the hygienist which is £50
My previous practice said the same thing at my last appointment just before covid started, and wouldn't do the scale & polish. I never ended up getting my teeth cleaned, I could have just gone to the hygienist last year as they were taking appointments
What is the point of the maternity exemption then? I thought it was more important during pregnancy for good dental care, has anyone else had this?

It's annoying but they won't provide any form of what they deem cosmetic treatment, for free. Medical care only.

A scale and polish is only covered by the NHS where it is clinically necessary. Simply needing a scale and polish isn't necessarily a clinical need.

If you keep leaving it the problem will get worse.
Probably worth the investment then upgrading your toothbrush etc to better keep on top of it going forward.

I think the NHS have got more important things to spend their money on right now! The medical exemption is there to help with any medical conditions that could arise due to your pregnancy, not a reason to get things paid for that you should have done before.

I had hygienist appointment last week at private dentist. It cost £46 which included full scale, but the polish was used with cotton wool as they cannot use the polisher. I think it’s important to have it done whilst pregnant.

A scale and polish is a cosmetic treatment, so of course you should be paying for it yourself if you want it.

The maternity exemption is for necessary and important dental care.

Well it seems rather pointless, I think I will just go private, I have booked the hygienist. Scale & polish has always been done before and is covered under band 1 so I don't think it is entirely 'cosmetic'

You think the maternity exemption is pointless because you have to pay someone to clean your teeth properly when you should have been doing it yourself in the first place?

Because you can’t have a scale and polish the fact that you could have fillings, root canals, extractions, a plethora of necessary and important dental treatment makes the maternity exemption worthless?

I have terrible gum recession from poor dental treatment whilst pregnant.

I pay a monthly amount - £17 and have a private polish every 3 months and a check up 6 monthly, with a private dentist. I wish I had been attending this dentist whilst pregnant the other one was shocking.

@emilyfrost

You think the maternity exemption is pointless because you have to pay someone to clean your teeth properly when you should have been doing it yourself in the first place?

Because you can’t have a scale and polish the fact that you could have fillings, root canals, extractions, a plethora of necessary and important dental treatment makes the maternity exemption worthless?

How do you know that I don't? I haven't been able to get a check up due to 'covid' I already am using private healthcare otherwise due to the NHS not fulfilling their duty of care, I guess this is another cost cutting exercise I'm not surprised My husband has to pay £280 for a crown & root canal but they still won't do a scale & polish with that, another £50 on top for the hygienist. The receptionist said she 'would ask the dentist if she would be willing to do the scale & polish as part of the treatment' even though it is clearly covered under this

The nhs website doesn't state a scale & polish is 'cosmetic'

@felineflutter

I have terrible gum recession from poor dental treatment whilst pregnant.

I pay a monthly amount - £17 and have a private polish every 3 months and a check up 6 monthly, with a private dentist. I wish I had been attending this dentist whilst pregnant the other one was shocking.

Thank you, I think I will go with Denplan now, I know you get the hygienist appointments included

Newsflash: after eleven years of Conservative governments the NHS is falling apart again.

I would pay for hygienist, it is worth the expense IMO.

I pay a monthly amount - £17 and have a private polish every 3 months and a check up 6 monthly, with a private dentist. I wish I had been attending this dentist whilst pregnant the other one was shocking.

^^ can I ask what dental plan that is? I pay £65 per clean and polish every 6months

How do you know that I don't? I haven't been able to get a check up due to 'covid'

If you’ve got a build up of tartar and plaque then you haven’t been cleaning your teeth properly. Covid is irrelevant; it isn’t your dentists job to clean your teeth.

This is also an issue you had before Covid; it seems likely you didn’t pay for it then believing you could get it free once you were pregnant.

My husband has to pay £280 for a crown & root canal but they still won't do a scale & polish with that, another £50 on top for the hygienist.

How is this at all relevant here?

A hygienist is private, not nhs.

A scale and polish won’t do the deep clean you obviously need. Stop being tight and get it done.

Why the hostility? Scale and polish has been under NHS before.
NHS has better things to spend it's money on just now? What, than someone's dental health?
Do you know just how much money the NHS piss up the wall?
I'm with you OP and let's all remember that many can't afford the scale and polish and will end up costing the NHS more money in dental care later that may well have been avoided.

If you’ve got a build up of tartar and plaque then you haven’t been cleaning your teeth properly. Covid is irrelevant; it isn’t your dentists job to clean your teeth.

^^ I've previously had a scale and polish via the nhs, now I pay privately. Tartar build up is perfectly normal even with meticulous oral hygiene. It's just the extent of it that you have control of.

Referring to hygienists seems to be becoming common and yes it’s private and has to be paid for. I know someone who gets free dental services due to income and they were also told they had to book with the hygienist.

Seems like a real money spinner

I’ve had a scale and polish when maternity exempt 🤷‍♀️

...the person I know was expected to pay the £48ish for the hygienist despite being on a low income/benefits.

She couldn’t so didn’t continue with the treatment.

@WhoAreYah

A hygienist is private, not nhs.

A scale and polish won’t do the deep clean you obviously need. Stop being tight and get it done.

I agree, the problem is that scale and polish isn't going to be enough for plaque and tartare of over a year... I paid for mine during pregnancy as i had bad bleeding gums. Was totally worth it!

I always get a scale and polish at my NHS checkup so I don’t think the OP is being unreasonable to wonder why she can’t have one when she’s had it before. I actually had one last week so it hasn’t changed at my dentist.

I get tartar build up around a fixed retainer so my dentist does a quick clean around it. Nothing to do with how well I clean my teeth - he says everyone with fixed retainers has the issue as you can’t get floss/interdental brushes in.

Maybe they make a judgment on how bad it is or how long it would take to do. I was probably in the room for less than 10 minutes including having X-rays.

@emilyfrost

How do you know that I don't? I haven't been able to get a check up due to 'covid'

If you’ve got a build up of tartar and plaque then you haven’t been cleaning your teeth properly. Covid is irrelevant; it isn’t your dentists job to clean your teeth.

This is also an issue you had before Covid; it seems likely you didn’t pay for it then believing you could get it free once you were pregnant.

My husband has to pay £280 for a crown & root canal but they still won't do a scale & polish with that, another £50 on top for the hygienist.

How is this at all relevant here?

Are you joking? I didn't plan pregnancy, what a ridiculous suggestion

@scotsllb

Why the hostility? Scale and polish has been under NHS before. NHS has better things to spend it's money on just now? What, than someone's dental health? Do you know just how much money the NHS piss up the wall? I'm with you OP and let's all remember that many can't afford the scale and polish and will end up costing the NHS more money in dental care later that may well have been avoided.

Thank you. It's not about money at all, I will pay it happily. It's just something that has always been done before even during a quick check up, my understanding was that it was preventative to future problems and that you are more prone to them during pregnancy