I still don't get private dental

[d000hg]

The dentist I've had for a while is moving to private work only. I like him so looked into private but I just can't see why anyone would bother. £70 for a check-up or a dental plan for £25 a month which gives you a check-up and 2 hygienist sessions a year. It's in the same practice you just pay 4x as much. I assume you get preferential booking but it's not hard to get an appointment. The plan doesn't cover dental work and if you're NHS you can always go private if you want white fillings or whatever.

Even if I were loaded, I can't see what I gain. If it were a swanky private only practice maybe, but it's not.
People here must have experience, what exactly is the benefit?

[eek]

None but unless you are very quick this morning the choice is going to be a private dentist or none at all.

Bupa still take NHS patients at times up here - so call them today and see if they are.

[SueEllen]

For some people it's the choice of having a dentist or not having one.

[Zigenare]

For some people it's the choice of having a dentist or not having one.

Bloody Tory Government!

FTFY!

[WTFH]

The dentist I've had for a while is moving to private work only. I like him so looked into private but I just can't see why anyone would bother. £70 for a check-up or a dental plan for £25 a month which gives you a check-up and 2 hygienist sessions a year. It's in the same practice you just pay 4x as much. I assume you get preferential booking but it's not hard to get an appointment. The plan doesn't cover dental work and if you're NHS you can always go private if you want white fillings or whatever.

Even if I were loaded, I can't see what I gain. If it were a swanky private only practice maybe, but it's not.
People here must have experience, what exactly is the benefit?

The benefit is getting a dentist.

If you can find an NHS dentist that will take you on, go for it. Otherwise you need to go private.
I had to laugh last night on the local news they interviewed a lady who moved to Cornwall from Lancashire 8 years ago. She couldn't get an NHS dentist and wouldn't pay to go private, so she drives an 800 mile round trip twice a year for checkups.
Now, I suspect that was her way of making it into a story, I'm sure she goes up to visit friends & family, but an 800 mile round trip would cost me a lot more in fuel (and time) than a private dentist annual package.
At my old dentist the plan was £350 a year (I think), which included 2x checkups, 4x hygienist appointments, 1x x-rays and then discount off any treatments

[SueEllen]

FTFY!

Nah NHS dentistry was falling apart under Labour.

I had an NHS dentist, moved to different areas while Labour were still in power, and realised if I still wanted an NHS dentist I better do the commute across London to be seen by them. It isn't a hardship as some family live nearby.

I still go to the same dental practice but about 3 years spaces opened up in NHS dentists nearer. Can't be bothered to change.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Haven't seen my dentist for two and a half years (at least), so that £600 well spent.

The plan covers checkups & fillings but not crowns & suchlike.

[d000hg]

The benefit is getting a dentist.

If you can find an NHS dentist that will take you on, go for it. Otherwise you need to go private.

I hear people say they can't get a dentist but have never struggled to find one not taking NHS patients - perhaps I've simply been lucky, perhaps it's a north/south thing?

Either way, my dentist is a Bupa practice but they are even now accepting new NHS sign-ups and so the mystery to me is why anyone is going private at this particular place. I can book my check-ups way in advance, for anything non-emergency I can get an appointment in a week or two, and of course it's the same dentists doing the work.
If you can't get NHS dentistry (which is scandalous) I can see why you'd be forced to go private, but many just seem to prefer it. Do they possibly just not realise they don't need to? Or maybe it's mostly people who get private health/dental through work and don't care.

[WTFH]

I hear people say they can't get a dentist but have never struggled to find one not taking NHS patients - perhaps I've simply been lucky, perhaps it's a north/south thing?

Either way, my dentist is a Bupa practice but they are even now accepting new NHS sign-ups and so the mystery to me is why anyone is going private at this particular place. I can book my check-ups way in advance, for anything non-emergency I can get an appointment in a week or two, and of course it's the same dentists doing the work.
If you can't get NHS dentistry (which is scandalous) I can see why you'd be forced to go private, but many just seem to prefer it. Do they possibly just not realise they don't need to? Or maybe it's mostly people who get private health/dental through work and don't care.

When we lived in Surrey, I couldn't get an NHS dentist within a 45 minute drive from home - Dorking, Guildford, Leatherhead, Ashtead, Epsom, Godalming, Cranleigh, etc. None of the NHS dentists in those towns were taking on new patients. Looking at the data today, it appears some now are. Of the 50 closest dentists to Dorking, 3 say are currently taking NHS patients.

I've now looked based on where we now live in Devon. None of the 50 closest dentists are taking NHS patients.

[SueEllen]

I hear people say they can't get a dentist but have never struggled to find one not taking NHS patients - perhaps I've simply been lucky, perhaps it's a north/south thing?

No it's to do with exactly where you live.

For example in London - some parts of London have a few there as others have one or none.

I live in a part of London that had one until about 3 years ago. There as were my dentist is located, there are a handful of practices within a mile.