Dentist During Covid

Author
Discussion

fut1a

Original Poster:

52 posts

139 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
How are people getting on with their Dentist? I have not seen my NHS Dentist for over 2 years now.

I usually have a check-up every 6 months. So I call them every 6 months to ensure I don't get booted off their books. I have called them 3 times and each time they say they are only doing emergency patients.

I am looking forward to my national insurance rebate lol.

anonymous-user

61 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
fut1a said:
How are people getting on with their Dentist? I have not seen my NHS Dentist for over 2 years now.

I usually have a check-up every 6 months. So I call them every 6 months to ensure I don't get booted off their books. I have called them 3 times and each time they say they are only doing emergency patients.

I am looking forward to my national insurance rebate lol.
Find a new dentist!

I have been seeing mine every 6 months as usual for a check and scale/polish. My only complaint has been that they are no longer using the water jet thingy for cleaning, and are back to hacking at you with metal tools. After for them during covid apparently.

fut1a

Original Poster:

52 posts

139 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
I have just called them again (4th time now) to be told the same thing.

It took me ages to find this one after I moved house.

I could go private but I don't see why I should have to.

Sheepshanks

35,079 posts

126 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
fut1a said:
I could go private but I don't see why I should have to.
I thought the same - I dn't really understand why even on NHS you still have to pay - but our dentist moved to private only a few years ago. It's about £20/mth on Denplan which includes check-ups and hygienist.

She turned out on a Sunday that was Christmas Eve a few years ago to re-attach a crown which saved Christmas for me.

Bikesalot

1,845 posts

165 months

Friday 10th December 2021
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Private dentists have seen a huge increase in patients over the past 2 year. The fact they will actually see you speaks volumes.

gus607

944 posts

143 months

Friday 10th December 2021
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Our NHS dentist working normally.

Brainpox

4,139 posts

158 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
fut1a said:
I could go private but I don't see why I should have to.
I swallowed my pride and went private. You won't get anything if you lose a few teeth waiting for an NHS dentist to see you. You need to look after number one.

Jamescrs

4,886 posts

72 months

Friday 10th December 2021
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My dentist was bad during the summer lockdowns last yea but this last 12 months has been more or less back to normal, I've been at least twice this year, maybe three times as I had a tooth out.

bigpriest

1,810 posts

137 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
Private here but only £8 per month (C-Plan). Dentist still working on 6 month checkups - bleachy mouthwash (oo err) and a manual scale and polish - referred me to the Hygienist as well after spotting some bone loss on x-ray (I think the Hygeinist is allowed to do the electric scale and polish).

21TonyK

11,927 posts

216 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
I had to go a couple of weekends ago, private and got an emergency appointment in 48 hours.

Riley Blue

21,636 posts

233 months

Friday 10th December 2021
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I thought I'd lost a filling in April last year. It wasn't a problem, I wasn't in pain and could eat OK and in any case had an appointment in early June.

That appointment was postponed twice. First to December last year, then to December this year and I went last week to be told I'd chipped a tooth, not lost a filling - I just knew something had come off a tooth. After some work with an 'angle grinder' the tooth is now fine and following a quick scale & polish I'm good to chomp for a further year.

A couple of weeks ago my O/H had a dental emergency, a fragment of tooth had broken off and been driven into her gum. She phoned our dentist, had a sit-and-wait appointment that same morning and was prescribed a week's supply of antibiotics. After a week's liquid diet she's now able to eating normally.

All from the same NHS dentist we've been with for 10 years or so. We've no complaints whatsoever; quite the reverse.

sawman

4,964 posts

237 months

Friday 10th December 2021
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A lot of dentists are struggling with staffing issues, dental nurses being attracted into other work that pays better. This then affects how much work the dentist can get through

Mojooo

13,027 posts

187 months

Friday 10th December 2021
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My impression generally is that dentists prefer private patients so wouldn't surprise me if they are doing other stuff with private patients if they have them.

I am with 2 private dentists who i use depending on availability.

My main one has very strict covid restrictions which means getting an appointment is hard due to all of their procedures and they also only do some treatments or limit them.

The other dentists is cracking on as normal.


melted

198 posts

86 months

Friday 10th December 2021
quotequote all
Wife is a dentist. Its almost normal for NHS patients, slightly longer between appointments, and you will be asked to wear a mask whilst in the building (except when receiving treatment, obviously)


cringle

402 posts

193 months

Saturday 11th December 2021
quotequote all
A few facts for you all from an NHS dentist.

1. The government only ever funded NHS dental care for 50% of the population. Which means since 2006, half of the population was expected to be seen privately.

2. A recent bulletin from the Office of The Chief Dental Officer told us to prioritise non registered patients in pain over and above our well maintained loyal patients. This is not good for the dentist or the loyal patients.

3. NHS dentistry is becoming financially unviable. I can't see myself carrying on with it for much longer. £65.20 for a course of treatment that will give you any number of fillings, root canals, extractions, gum disease treatment and denture repairs? The average practice will get paid £75 for this, and it can take hours and hours to complete a course of treatment. That's payimg for a whole team and using very expensive equipment and materials. Why should we accept that when a plumber will charge £80 odd quid just to show up? Or a solicitor charging £250 for a letter? Our overheads are crazy. My nurses are on a minimum £12 per hour now. My insurance this year is £8000. CQC registration £800. And £700 to have a license. I don't expect much sympathy in here but the facts are facts. The service is being left to rot by the powers that be as it's an easy win for the government as we all relinquish our contracts, are forced to go private, and the finger gets pointed at us rather than the faceless civil servants holding the purse strings.

melted

198 posts

86 months

Saturday 11th December 2021
quotequote all
cringle said:
A few facts for you all from an NHS dentist.

1. The government only ever funded NHS dental care for 50% of the population. Which means since 2006, half of the population was expected to be seen privately.

2. A recent bulletin from the Office of The Chief Dental Officer told us to prioritise non registered patients in pain over and above our well maintained loyal patients. This is not good for the dentist or the loyal patients.

3. NHS dentistry is becoming financially unviable. I can't see myself carrying on with it for much longer. £65.20 for a course of treatment that will give you any number of fillings, root canals, extractions, gum disease treatment and denture repairs? The average practice will get paid £75 for this, and it can take hours and hours to complete a course of treatment. That's payimg for a whole team and using very expensive equipment and materials. Why should we accept that when a plumber will charge £80 odd quid just to show up? Or a solicitor charging £250 for a letter? Our overheads are crazy. My nurses are on a minimum £12 per hour now. My insurance this year is £8000. CQC registration £800. And £700 to have a license. I don't expect much sympathy in here but the facts are facts. The service is being left to rot by the powers that be as it's an easy win for the government as we all relinquish our contracts, are forced to go private, and the finger gets pointed at us rather than the faceless civil servants holding the purse strings.
Well said

I note the nhs are now trying to wriggle out of covering the extra cost of PPE.

At least with the NHS the FD is cheap

fut1a

Original Poster:

52 posts

139 months

Saturday 11th December 2021
quotequote all
cringle said:
A few facts for you all from an NHS dentist.

1. The government only ever funded NHS dental care for 50% of the population. Which means since 2006, half of the population was expected to be seen privately.

2. A recent bulletin from the Office of The Chief Dental Officer told us to prioritise non registered patients in pain over and above our well maintained loyal patients. This is not good for the dentist or the loyal patients.

3. NHS dentistry is becoming financially unviable. I can't see myself carrying on with it for much longer. £65.20 for a course of treatment that will give you any number of fillings, root canals, extractions, gum disease treatment and denture repairs? The average practice will get paid £75 for this, and it can take hours and hours to complete a course of treatment. That's payimg for a whole team and using very expensive equipment and materials. Why should we accept that when a plumber will charge £80 odd quid just to show up? Or a solicitor charging £250 for a letter? Our overheads are crazy. My nurses are on a minimum £12 per hour now. My insurance this year is £8000. CQC registration £800. And £700 to have a license. I don't expect much sympathy in here but the facts are facts. The service is being left to rot by the powers that be as it's an easy win for the government as we all relinquish our contracts, are forced to go private, and the finger gets pointed at us rather than the faceless civil servants holding the purse strings.
£65.20 for a course of treatment? How do you get these courses? I go for a check-up and if I need a filling or something I think it's around £28 to £30. I have always opted for a white one and the last one was just over a hundred quid. I can't quite remember what I pay for a check-up but I think it's around £20.

liner33

10,780 posts

209 months

Saturday 11th December 2021
quotequote all
I have a nhs dentist and it’s been pretty much normal over the last year or so .

I pay £28 for an inspection but tend to have to pay privately for treatment or hygienist as usually they have fee appointments for nhs patients but plenty for private so unless I want to suffer I have to pay

cheeky_chops

1,606 posts

258 months

Wednesday 15th December 2021
quotequote all
cringle said:
3. NHS dentistry is becoming financially unviable. I can't see myself carrying on with it for much longer. £65.20 for a course of treatment that will give you any number of fillings, root canals, extractions, gum disease treatment and denture repairs? The average practice will get paid £75 for this, and it can take hours and hours to complete a course of treatment. That's payimg for a whole team and using very expensive equipment and materials. Why should we accept that when a plumber will charge £80 odd quid just to show up? Or a solicitor charging £250 for a letter? Our overheads are crazy. My nurses are on a minimum £12 per hour now. My insurance this year is £8000. CQC registration £800. And £700 to have a license. I don't expect much sympathy in here but the facts are facts. The service is being left to rot by the powers that be as it's an easy win for the government as we all relinquish our contracts, are forced to go private, and the finger gets pointed at us rather than the faceless civil servants holding the purse strings.
This. My missus went private years ago, most of her uni friends are too. Covid is just another nail in the coffin of the UDA's with the longer aerosol protocol making "drill, fill, bill" near impossible.

This is a few years old but highlights how a single surgery needs to turn over £1k+ a day just to keep the lights on - https://dentistry.co.uk/2017/05/25/dark-art-settin...

Limpet

6,521 posts

168 months

Friday 17th December 2021
quotequote all
Bikesalot said:
Private dentists have seen a huge increase in patients over the past 2 year. The fact they will actually see you speaks volumes.
I've been forced to go private after moving to a new county in late 2020, and despite great effort on my part, being unable to register with any NHS dentist within a 30 mile radius of my house, much less make an appointment.

First private dentist I called (after seeking local recommendations) registered me and got me in within 48 hours.