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.

Someone who is friendly with little kids, but also can be quite serious when it comes to serious matters. I would also say that I find it really important that a dentist knows what they're talking about as sometimes they just spout rubbish.

I do think that it's wrong that not everyone in the UK can access an NHS dentist if they wish to. It seems that the paper born just became too onerous for many NHS dentists hence converting to private. Whatever the case, the government should look into matters and rectify the situation is that NHS is still worth doing for dentists.

I've always been lucky with good dentists, although I've never had any major problems with my teeth.

My personal main concern is the ease of getting a convenient appointment, especially if I should develop toothache or other problems, being able to get it treated quickly.

Since joining a practice as an NHS patient I have seem to have spent a fortune. The costs are completely unclear as they do not seem to match the costs for the three levels of treatment on the NHS. I am considering going back to private again as it was cheaper.
There is virtually no NHS dentist cover out of hours!

OOH care. I'm registered at a dentist not in my local area as I've been with him for years, he understands my nerves and is very patient. I needed OOH treatment. My local (to me) OOH wouldn't see me as I wasn't with a dentist in my area, and the OOH in the dentist area wouldn't see me as my address wasn't in their area. So who am I covered by?!

I have always attended an NHS dentist and found them to be useful & pleasant enough.
However, although my dentist practice has been the same for many years now, my actual dentist changes on a regular basis. I would say for example that I have been seen by 4 different people in the last 18 months.
Obviously for continuation of care and for relationship building it would be better to be seen regularly and consistently by the same dentist.

Also, now I'm a parent, I can see the importance of child friendly dentists - ones who are patient , understanding & to a certain extent fun!

I've found it difficult to get on the books with an NHS dentist in the past. If I don't make regular checkup appointments I'm told I will be taken off their books. Working full time in a stressful job with an hours commute each way and a 2 year old means that its not always my priority.
I get a bit nervous when in the chair but I'd rather they just got on with it.
I like to have time at the end to ask general questions.

I think good dental care involves not being under or over diagnosed, relative ease in obtaining an appointment (i.e. not necessarily having to book 9 months out, extended opening hours) and also professionals who can communicate in layman's terms without being patronising.

I would hope that inspections include checking equipment as there appears to be an increasing, worrying trend of buying unregulated and ultimately dangerous pieces online either on purpose of inadvertently.

I have had my fair share of bad dentists which have left me quite nervous if i need treatment, i had one dentist drill right through my jawbone which resulted some years later me losing the tooth and having to have an operation where they cut through the gum and into the bone to remove lots of bad. That dentist was amazing he was so careful and kind and he fitted me with a bridge, many years later i had another dentist lovely too but he had a thing where he would give you a mirror so you could see what he was doing. A few years later i went to another one due to change in area i hated it she was unclean broken sink and i had two root canal which she did not do properly and left some of the root behind which has since resulted in one tooth being removed and another soon to be. I am allergic to some medication and to one of the injections they give i have to have ones with no adrenalin but each time i get told i am making it up as its never shown anyone to have problems, i feel awful when i have to go now. One of the last dentists he had instruments laid on kitchen roll..his nurse laid them down from a draw he left some tooth behind which many time cut my tongue eventually it worked its way out. We had a new dental practice open up so i thought maybe, but again hygiene is so bad broken seats, unwrapped instruments cracks in walls and dentists who chat on phone whilst trying to work. Plus the receptionist speaks little english has filled in forms with wrong names and details my daughter went there and got referred but they put all the wrong info they had another persons name and address and what needed doing. The dentist i have now (touch wood) might be ok will see whan i next have to go.

I do wish prices were clearer and there was a way to pay over time and not in one lump sum.
My son has a lovely dentist, very kind extremley clean and hygienic and they care..a rarity.

Have had the same dentist since I first went but he's just retired. The one that replaced him is doesn't seem to have the same attention to detail the last one had

I'm quite scared of the dentists so for me it's very important to have someone that can ease my fears. I always I'm going to have a nightmare of a job carried out, like I'll be part of the 1% failed tests or however much % it actually is. Someone that looks and is actually confident in their abilities is a must for me.

My dentist is young and newly qualified. He seems meticulous though. He seeks advice from more senior dentists at times- I know from my own experience and obs from waiting room. I find this reassuring as he knows his limits.