Are maternity exemption certificates valid as a private patient at an NHS dentist?

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Bit confused!
Last month I rang to book a check up at my normal NHS dentist and they told me as it’d been over two years since my last check up (it’s been just over, for context!) they’d removed me and I could only get a private appointment. Bit cheesed off as I wanted a check up last year but they weren’t offering them due to COVID, but that’s a whole different thread!
Anyway I didn’t even think that dental was included as part of my maternity exemption certificate but I’ve just seen it is, but is this just if I was a NHS patient?
Anyone had any recent experiences of this? Not sure where I stand and don’t want to make a tit out myself or get fobbed off when I query it before my appointment next week.
No where seems has any NHS spaces near me so private is my only option.

I'm not sure tbh I don't think it covers private. I was a NHS dental patient, needed 4 filling when DD was 6 months old, dentist wouldn't do amalgam filling while I was still BFing so I had to pay private for white ones, very annoying I think I should have been allowed the white on NHS as I fed for another year so they would literally have just left me needing 4 fillings for a year . Have you checked on the NHS website that there's definitely none In your area taking new patients?

No, it's a NHS maternity exemption certificate so it definitely won't cover the cost of any private treatment.

You would have to be on an NHS dentists list and be treated under the NHS using NHS treatments and the agreed payment rates for them.

If you can't find a local NHS dentist to treat you, call NHS England's Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 22333_.

NHS England commissions dental services in England and is required to meet the needs of their local population for both urgent and routine dental care.

I spent all day last week ringing round dentists hardly any are taking on new nhs patients! If it helps (I didn’t know this) you can go to any dentist that is taking new patients, you aren’t tied to a catchment area like with GPs. I eventually got an appointment for the end of sept with a dentist 40 minutes away!

They will expect you to pay full price if you are now a private patient.

You can try going on the waiting list to be an NHS patient but it's often a long wait.

No. My dentist offer private and nhs treatment. They told me I can ‘pay’ for any treatment I like.. I don’t understand why they will treat me if I pay but I was told the exemption cert is pretty much null and void. Hiding behind covid restrictions at the time if you ask me.

As above, its an NHS exemption certificate, not for private dentistry (would be good if it was, could have my new crowns for free )

Have you already had the treatment?

No of course not it's an nhs exemption certificate the clue is in the name 😅

No, not valid for private dentistry.
I'd kick up a huge stink about being removed from the NHS list though if they weren't offering appointments last year. Play it up a bit and say that you phoned and were told they'd be in touch once they were open for appointments but nobody called you (will obviously only work if more than one receptionist!).

If you are in pain then you can call 111 to get an appointment at an emergency dentist. I had to do so when I had a newborn as pregnancy can be hard on your gums and teeth and I was in terrible pain.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I thought this would be the case but wasn’t sure if anyone had experienced any loophole as the dentist also does NHS.
Will look into some of the alternative suggestions 😊

And sorry to answer the questions I haven’t had any treatment yet it’s this week, and just a check up so hopefully nothing too expensive anyway. I’m back on their waiting list but they told me up to 2 years…

Dentists only get contracted to do a certain amount of NHS work so once they have reached that they aren’t allowed to do any more - offering only private in this situation isn’t about maximising profits. The NHS commissions enough dentistry for less than half the population so there will always be a huge shortfall in the available NHS appointments

Going against the grain here but I'm a private patient at my dentist and when they read I was pregnant on the sheet they just said there was no charge so it might be worth asking them? It was only a check up though I didn't have any work done

Yes same, I’m a private patient but had my check up at 39+5 and they didn’t even ask to see the certificate and just didn’t charge. I mean I guess it was fairly obvious!

Thanks for the extra replies!
Just to update in case anyone has the same query in the near future. I went today and unfortunately as suspected i had to pay, I did ask both the dentist and the receptionist.
Maybe your dentists had NHS spaces at the time @PeigiSu @dannygoat so could push you through.
Think the COVID back log has created problems everywhere.
Hopefully if I ever have another baby I’ll be able to use the free dental perk then!