Talk to the CQC about dental care and you could win £100 for your favourite charity NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by the Care Quality Commission to find out about Mumsnetters' opinions and experiences of dental care and dentists.

The Care Quality Commission say: "We believe passionately that everyone in our society deserves safe, high quality, accessible dental care. To help ensure dental services (high street dentists and emergency out of hours services) are safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led, we are changing the way we regulate, inspect and rate dental care.

During an inspection, we look at premises, systems and processes, dental records and observe care being given. We also speak to patients and dental staff, to find out what they think about services being provided and identify any concerns, or best practice.

We want to hear your views on what good dental care looks like for you and your family, to help us decide which key areas we should focus on during our new style inspections, which will be finalised by April 2015."

So, what does good dental care look like for you? What is more important to you, in terms of dental care? Have you had any particularly good experiences of dental care in the past few years? Or have you had any particularly bad experiences? What would you like the CQC to look for when inspecting dental services? Is there anything in particular that you think could be done to improve dental care in general?

Whatever your experiences have been, the CQC would love to hear about them.

Everyone who adds a comment to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will receive a £100 donation to the charity of their choice.

Thanks,
MNHQ

PS - For more information on what the CQC look for during dental inspections, you can download their draft dental care service handbook here.
You can also take part in their online consultation here, if you have more in-depth comments you want to share with them. Closing dates for the consultation is 23 January 2015, so please leave your comments here and the CQC incorporate your feedback when finalising how they inspect dental services.

I can't speak strongly enough how upset and disgusted I am where dental health has ended up. Making it a paid for service has ruined it. I have spent years, and wasted good teeth avoiding going.

Things that would be good for dental care - available NHS dentists

I like it when the dentist has read your notes before calling you into the room, and then checks with you what you think they are doing at this appointment. It might seem like a small thing. But it's worrying when they just get started finishing off something that a different dentist started, without checking first.

Also I dislike high turnover of dentists... You just get to trust one and then off they go back to Spain.

NHS underfunding is a major problem. My practice is going to have to cancel exempt adults and children's appointments as there are no UDAs left. Fee paying adults being seen privately at a loss. Treatment planning will be a nightmare because of this.
The government needs to either give enough funding for the massive dental needs of the population or decide that Dentistry isn't going to be NHS any longer so that dentists can get on with what they are good at- treating patients.
My charity is Antenatal Results and Choices.

We are with Denplan, as we had an awful experience with an NHS Dentist. We pay a monthly family fee and have regular check ups and cleans without being handed a monumental bill each time! My Children really seem to enjoy visiting the Dentist now.

We see a private dentist who I cannot praise enough. Rates are reasonable (for private care) and we can get an appointment within a day or so if necessary. I had some very bad dental experiences as a child and as a result suffer from horrific dental phobia. I made my current dental practice aware of this when booking in a few years ago (after irresponsibly avoiding the dentist for a number of years prior) and they were very warm and welcoming, as well as understanding.

Our current dentist is great, young and very friendly. We have a quick chat before heading into the chair, which always puts me at ease. DS (6) is just starting to receive regular dental care and they are equally warm and welcoming to him. Cannot say I love going to the dentist, but our current practice has made it as painless as possible (within reason, of course). I actually look forward to my scales and polishes!

thanks to house moves and some substandard care we've seen a lot of dentists, mainly NHS + private options but one entirely private. Ensuring that they can all speak adequate English would be a good start. Good dental care to me looks like no unneccesary dental work, pain free work when required, a good explanation of options when there are any, advice on prevention. I would prefer to see salaried NHS dentists in every area - IMHO the only way to get quality care and avoid unnecessary work. Denplan still has perverse incentives, it's not a substitute for dentists without a profit motive and the current NHS contract rewards dishonesty.

I would like to see you check how many patients leave a practise and move to another dentists for reasons other than a house move. Few people will complain, more will change dentist.

Obviously complaints should not be investigated by the practice. I would suggest you also have "mystery shoppers" who pretend to have moved to the area and serve as a check that was is recommended is actually needed. I'd also like some random sampling of 17 year olds registered with a dentist as I strongly suspect that dentists omit necessary work until they reach 18 and the dentist is paid more for it. There should be a free complaint system for private dentistry too.

Dentists need more education on medical conditions that can present as toothache to avoid unnecessary removel of teeth. While I am thinking specifically of trigeminal neuralgia there are others.

Please try to ensure that there are patient leaflets in every dental surgery so that parents can be educated to look after their children's teeth properly. Can you also educate dentists that looking after children ensures that they will be having regular checkups, and provding dentists with an income. Bad dental care means they will avoid dentists for years.

There are some good dentists out there still but if you want a dentist close to your home you may have to put up with someone who cares only for how much money they can get from you. There needs to be better checks on the sytem and more severe punishment for those caught acting unethically. I can see/ complain about shabby or dirty practices, it's much more difficult to judge poor work. You don't regulate dentistry at present, you paper over the dirt.

I had a brilliant nhs dentist but then he privatised he practise. I am still an nhs client so I get the newly qualified dentists while he sees private patients.

Our last dentist charged me for DDs fillings (over £200) but hadn't told me in advance that it would cost so I was presented with a shocker of a bill! I complained but was made to feel like it was my own fault and that I shouldn't begrudge paying for my daughter's dental health. It wasn't that I don't value her dental health, it was the hugely unprofessional way it was handled.

I paid up (too scared not to) and have since moved to a lovely dentist who has informed me that he didn't do a very good job on the fillings at all so at some point poor DD will have to have them done again. When I said that I had paid private fees she was gobsmacked and said dentists like him are shaming the profession.

My point is that the quality of care and professional standards vary far too much between dentists and people have to just suck it up as there are few or no alternatives.

I have a great dentist , family friendly and you see the same dentist / hygienist every time . DD has been going since she was a toddler so hopefully won't develop any issues.
The best thing they do is tooth emergency - committing to see same day for an ache or issue . Due to hyperemesis during pregnancy some of my teeth almost crumbled - I got everything fixed without being worried about over charging .

I have an excellent dentist but it took me 30 years to find him.

Ensure infections are dealt with properly. They rarely are and you go back time and again while your jaws are being eaten away.

Look into neuralgia connection to nerve damage through dentistry.

I had a great experience with an out of hours service but it was very hard to find them. Out of hours needs to be organised better. Every hospital should have a dentist, not many do, even when nhs direct send you there.

There needs to be a closer connection to general health.

NHS treatments shouldn't be second rate.

Generally my family's NHS dental care has been good.

We have used the same practice from when my childen were small, and the dentist is friendly, helpful and professional.

No major problems for us, we feel like we gain a credible service,

Like an earlier poster I am a member of Denplan, although I get the feeling that the dentist who has recently taken over the practice would prefer everyone to be a private patient. I'm glad it covers x-ray costs and examinations, but any major work is not covered. The dentist has given me a quotation of over £600 for work I need done- work I cannot afford on top of the monthly fee I pay. He is a pleasant man but I also feel he is a bit of a salesman.

I work in an economically deprived area and to be honest you can tell by the state of people's teeth. There is no spare money for most people to cover dental care. NHS dentist places are hard to come by.

Once a year a dentist comes to the school I work in to check a year group's teeth, for a survey on dental health I suppose. The problem is nothing ever comes of this visit. Parents are not informed of the results and appointments/ treatment are not suggested.

Our dentist is such a lovely man, all the family go to him, he always explains everything carefully in a way we can understand, he is fast and very gentle when carrying out work that needs doing. I used to be scared of the dentist, but not any more. He is an NHS dentist and I was lucky to get us on their list!

I once had a dentist who did not do what he said he had done and used to reuse fillings! He is no longer a dentist and in fact stopped shortly after I left. I think he was probably found out.

Good dental care is:
Actually looking at teeth, not waiting for the patient to say they may have a cavity
Straight forward progression to more complex treatments not referred to another surgery for x rays, then back again, then referred to someone else for extraction only to go through assessment again.

Stickers

My dentist is fab, send text messages day before to remind you of upcoming appointments. Have bright airy waiting rooms and super staff.

I might have to travel 8 miles to get there as was nearest NHS dentist taking on patients about 10 years ago but sure glad i did.

What I find difficult to know is how to choose a dentist that's any good. My husband and I have both had bad experiences in the past and so working out who we can trust with our teeth is tricky. I think we have found someone now but that's more luck than judgement. How does the CQC communicate its findings? I don't think this is something I know to lookfor but would be interested in.

Being able to find an NHS dentist would be nice, there are none taking on adults in my area.

The children's NHS dentist is lovely - kind, cheerful, reassuring. None have needed any work yet though, so I can't comment on that.

My dentist went private and, however good a dentist he may be, can't run a business to save his life.

Money seems to have been found for new furniture and a huge telly in reception, and lots of glossy brochures on whitening etc, but they send reminders in a totally haphazard way, don't follow up on enquiries and are very keen on replacing old fillings.

When I did need serious work I was referred to one of his friends, with a price tag of over £800 and a very glossy brochure. I found an alternative provider with great references for £600 - how can you market something where the 'customer' has needs rather than wants, and there is such huge asymmetry in information?

Being able to provide dental care, and being able to run a working business are clearly very different things. I would love to be able to find decent NHS care again.

I've been through a few dental practices in the past and I finally feel confident that I have a dentist who I can trust is actually concerned about saving and helping me to look after my teeth. The whole atmosphere and approach is professional throughout the practice. The only downside I have experienced is the children's dentist keeps changing every year or so. I'd much prefer them to get used to one dentist as they find it an ordeal enough going to the dentist!

Getting a dentist in the first place. Which is practically impossible round here.

Also, they do not display their (NHS) prices, which I recently read they should.

Good hygiene, friendly dentist who explains what and why they are doing something.

We go to a private dentist, and always have. NHS dentists in SW London are like hen's teeth.

We moved from a dentist who charged £85 for a checkup and clean for EACH child. Our new (private) dentist now charges £25 for each child, which is much more reasonable. I think it is VERY important that prices are proportionate for the amount of work undertaken.

Our dentist surgery is immaculately clean, gloves are changed between each child etc... this is obviously very important.

I left another surgery as they always kept us waiting ages for our appointments, even in the morning! I think timekeeping is very important, especially with small children. Our dentist has toys and books for children while they are waiting, and stickers for them when they are finished. It is obviously better to make a child's trip to the dentist as pleasant as possible. the dentist should speak to them in a non-patronising way to encourage good brushing and dietary changes.

I also like the fact that our dentist regularly checks for jaw-clicking, and other oral health issues. I can't recall other dentists doing this.

We are with an NHS dentist - always have been. They are friendly, and helpful, and the practice is clean.

Dentist has always been great with the kids as they were growing up (now teens) - allowing them to ride on his chair etc, and introduced them to the idea of a proper tooth inspection very gradually.

I'm fortunate that I've never had to have any major work done - just a few fillings in my teens, and now the very occasional filling replacement when a (40 year old) filling has fallen out. NHS cost has been reasonable (less than 20). I shudder to think how we could afford to pay for any major work any of the family might need done.

DD2 had a brace, also done on the NHS. Privately would have cost 4000 plus, so out of the question. Fortunately she met the criteria to have NHS treatment.

My nominated charity would be my local Guiding organisation.

I am completely baffled by dentistry in the UK. I grew up in the USA where dentistry was expensive but thorough and effective. We always had a clean by a hygienist and a further check by a dentist. Here they all just seem to count your teeth and send you on your way with a reminder to return in 6 months. The costs are inconsistent and unclear what you are paying for and are entitled to as an nhs patient and it's even more confusing when you figure in private and nhs options.

I have visited surgeries that were grubby and the nurses had runny noses and dirty uniforms. Surgeries where the offices are cramped and damp, surgeries where patient records were in great piles along staircases. Surgeries where no lead aprons or other protections were used during x-rays. It has generally been a disappointing experience.

Using lead aprons for dental radiography is outdated. Nowhere uses them now and if they are they shouldn't be.